By your window
by Stieglitzz
Summary: In just one day, Marben arrives to America to attend a year in a prestigious music school, she turns fifteen and falls in love for the first time too. She knows it's no ephemeral fancy. What she does not know, is that her tender feelings will introduce her to an amazing group of teens, but also put her in great danger. 8/28/2020 - gradually proofreading and reposting chapters!
1. Chapter 1

1.

At her fifteenth birthday's sundown, Marben found herself running down an unknown sidewalk, looking for the ball one of her classmates had accidentally tossed over the fence; she hadn't even been in the new school for an hour yet and was already getting into trouble, sneaking out of it without permission and unsupervised. As focused as she was in being swift - otherwise she would have gotten detention on the very first day of school - the girl could have never imagined it, but her day was about to take an unexpected turn by giving her a special birthday present.

Turning a corner, indeed, Marben got suddenly lost in the green eyes of a boy who was standing on her very same sidewalk: he smiled kindly at her, and suddenly she felt like her heart was skipping beats.

"Hey. Are you looking for this?" asked the boy, alluding to something he was holding in his hand. Marben forced herself to lower her eyes and noticed that it was the little ball. She then looked in the boy's eyes again and smiled, a bit grateful and a bit dumbstruck.

"Yes".

He handed out the ball, and reaching for it, the girl placed one of her hands on his: none of the two broke the contact, the boy flushed a bit but kept on smiling (dazzled, Marben noticed with a heartthrob), and she laughed softly in delight, tilting her head to the side. She took a tiny step ahead, coming closer to him, and…

"NUMBER FIVE!".

The boy startled and quickly turned his head. Following his gaze, Marben saw a man and a group of teens on the other side of the street, looking at them; the man, brandishing his walking stick like a scepter, took a few steps toward them and raised his chin, the sunset light reflecting on a monocle Marben wouldn't have noticed otherwise.

"Shit!" hissed the boy. "Sorry, I gotta run".

His hand left the ball so quickly that Marben almost failed to catch it: ruffled, she tried to think of something to say to keep him from leaving, but words eluded her. In the batting of an eyelash, the boy had crossed the street. Passing in front of the man with the monocle, he threw him a look of challenge to which the man reacted widening his stance. Unbowed, the boy gave him his back and followed the teens at the top of the queue who had resumed walking in complete silence; Marben felt like her feet were glued to the ground, and stayed put for a long time, watching the group disappear even after the green-eyed boy had given her one last curious glance, over his shoulder.

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_A/N: Hello, everyone, I hope you enjoyed this short debut!_

_As I wrote on my page, I am not a native English speaker, so if you spot some grammar or spelling errors please be patient...and maybe let me know, if you have a little time to devote to the right cause to help me improve! I would be very grateful, as I don't use the help of a Beta._

_I plan to add warnings about descriptions of violent or intimate scenes, as I continue to publish the chapters, so as not to disturb anyone's sensibility. Again, you're very welcome to let me know if you think I should add some warnings or tags while the story goes on._

_Thank you for the attention, folks, I hope you will come in large numbers! :)_


	2. Chapter 2

2.

The next time they met, it was by pure chance: Five and his siblings had managed to sneak out of the Academy without being stopped neither by Pogo or Mom (they had noticed, Five knew, and was grateful for their complicity), and planned to go to Griddy's to stuff themselves full of doughnuts, but the sound of music along the street had caught their attention. As they neared the park down the road to the Library, they met a bit of a commotion: people came and went chit-chatting excitedly.

"…all the way from London!".

"My cousin says they're the best students of some prestigious school for girls…".

"G-girls, bro!" yelled Diego, elbowing Klaus: the two shared a mischievous grin and then sprang forward.

"HEY! What about Griddy's?". A roar of fading laughter was all Five got as an answer.

"You know them, Five" Allison told him in a condescending voice; when he looked at her disdainfully, she rose an eyebrow. "What, aren't girls enough for your ingenious self?".

This time, Five didn't acknowledge her. He let Vanya timidly pull him by the sleeve through the crowd, snorting appreciatively when Ben muttered that he would had rather go to the doughnut shop rather than watch his brothers try to catch some girl's eye.

As they grew near to the Library, the music became louder: the people around them was silent, even the kids, and everyone was staring through a fence.

"This music…is so beautiful!". Vanya's whisper sounded almost loud in the quiet vibe. Five took compassion on her ecstatic look, and so he followed her ahead.

The fence separated the throng from the immaculate backyard of a distinguished school of which they didn't know the name (they were not allowed to fraternize with other kids or to come in contact with their normal, plebeian lives); sensing Vanya's frustration, Five took her hand and in a flash of blue light they were inside the school. She thanked him with a kiss on his cheek, and then proceeded to worm her way to the school's Theatre, where a girl with long, red hair was lively playing the piano in front of a small crowd. But what really got Five's attention was the glimpse of a beautiful smile before a head was turned, a bow raised and then glided on the strings of a violin. Then, he could hear the music too.

It was the girl he'd met not far from the Academy, a few weeks prior: she hadn't locked eyes with him - only with Vanya - and he could only see her profile but there was no doubt. This time she wore a uniform, and her long, dark blond hair flowed free on her shoulders, shifting captivatingly with the movements of her arms. She was playing a beautiful theme, and even if Five wasn't prone to sentimentalisms he wished she would look up and recognize him: she looked so very passionate, so deeply focused and yet approachable, as if by reaching out one of his hands Five could have touched her...

"OH MY GOD, AREN'T THOSE THE UMBRELLA KIDS?!".

The music stopped abruptly. Five snapped out of his reverie to see a woman frantically pointing at Diego and Klaus, both of them looking like deers in the headlights. Suddenly everyone's gaze was on them as the little crowd started to call their names and to tumble crown over ankle trying to reach them.

"Shit! We're not supposed to be here!". Hurriedly Five grabbed Vanya and Ben (who somehow had managed to sneak inside too), threw an annoyed look at Diego and then jumped, before anyone could snap a photo of them. He entirely missed the glance of the girl who had been enchanting him with her music, only moments prior.

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A/N: Hello, everyone! I just wanted to give my most sincere thanks to whomever added the first chapter among the favourites or even has simply silently read. It really means a lot, to me.Until next time!


	3. Chapter 3

3.

"At least I know where to find her" the boy told himself, looking up at the imposing outline of the school. "Which room will be the right one is a different matter entirely".

The first jump took Five almost at the top of the fire escape: he peeked inside the window and saw a girl with dark hair and glasses staring adoringly at a poster of Leonardo DiCaprio. He snorted and tried again. The next window showed an empty room, and the third one a girl with frizzy hair, blathering animatedly in a walkie-talkie while painting her toenails in bright pink.

"Allison Hargreeves Wannabe" muttered Five, rolling his eyes.

Another couple of jumps were uneventful. At some point, though, he came across a room whose owner was undressing for the night: panicking, Five jumped without really focusing and landed at the bottom of the stairwell, scaring a cat who fled hissing and banging against a dumpster. Five too got jumpy and let out an undignified squawk.

"Shit!". Taking a deep breath to get himself together, the boy considered what he was doing. Looking for a girl through the windows at night wasn't exactly the brightest of ideas, and to think he hadn't been able to come up with something better pissed him to no end. On the other hand, which other options did he have? The only free time he and his siblings were allowed at the Academy was that blasted half an hour on Saturday's afternoons, and they didn't get to spend it outside the house…

'As if that asshole would ever allow me to see her!'. Five remembered his Father's harsh disapproval when he had left the compact queue formed by his siblings to catch the ball for the blonde girl, as well as the reproach followed by detention that time he and the others had been seen at her snobbish school. Fueled by spite, he tried another jump, but it didn't work.

"Come on!". With a growl and a flash of blue, Five suddenly found himself on the fire escape again, staring in a surprised blue/green gaze on the other side of a window.

"SHIT! Shit-shit-shi…".

"You swear too much". Balled fists in front of him, flustered and partially hidden in the shadow of the fire escape, Five knew he looked ridiculous; that's why he turned to give a murderous glare to the girl. She simply smiled, like having him lurking by her window was something funny, and all the anger inexplicably dissipated.

"Eh, I…uhm…". The girl's smile got wider at his stuttering, causing him to get mad at himself. "I wasn't spying on you!" he finally gritted out, offering her an annoyed parody of a smile.

"Oh, I know. I heard you cussing all the way up and down the stairs! You'd make the worst ogler ever" she told him, unimpressed; without losing her smile, the girl threw the window open wide and sat on the windowsill.

"So…you're not gonna call for help?" asked Five, a bit intrigued but too irked to let it show. She shook her head. "I could be a lot worse than just a voyeur…".

"Like what, a teen sex offender who gets scared by stray cats?". They looked at each other for a moment and then burst laughing together. Five didn't know if he was being hysterical or was genuinely amused by the idea of making a terrible weirdo, but he let himself enjoy the laugh anyway, because it felt liberating. And then he took the chance to properly study the girl who already had cost him two fights with his Father: shorter than him, petite, with fair eyes and fair hair. She was wearing the same (even if far less pristine) uniform he had saw her in at the concert, a white shirt on a smoke grey skirt and navy blue tights, no shoes; the shirt was pulled out of the skirt and its sleeves had been rolled up to the girl's elbows, the blue and yellow striped tie loosened around her neck. The bright blue jacket from last time was missing.

"What?" asked the girl playfully, noticing his stare.

Looking in her bright eyes suddenly Five felt so full of emotion he thought he was going to spontaneously combust: it strongly unsettled him, but luckily she didn't wait for him to say something and spoke again.

"What's your name, then?".

"Five, my name's Five. Very pleased" he said, haughtily offering a hand.

"Like the number?" she asked puzzled, shaking it. He gave her a cocky smirk, ignoring the pleasant feeling of her warm, smooth hand squeezing his bigger one.

"Yeah. Strange name, I know".

"You tell me, mine's Marben!".

"Mar-ben". Five repeated the name, tasting it on his tongue, getting used to it. It was strange but sounded nice.

"Yes, it's a surname".

"What? What were your parents thinking?" he let out a little laugh that sounded a little derisive.

"They're strange people. They knew for sure they were about to have a girl, and even so when I was born all they had agreed on was a bunch of male names…". She shrugged. "So they opened a random book and deemed the main character's surname a worth choice. All things considered, getting this joke of a name hasn't been that bad so far". Five raised his eyebrows and looked somewhere else.

"Doesn't sound very smart". Marben gasped, trying to mask it as a laugh.

"No, it doesn't, thanks for pointing it out. I suppose you, instead, have only and always brilliant ideas".

"I do, in fact". Five didn't bother with modesty. "Those who examined my IQ certified I'm a true genius".

"Oh" retorted Marben, unfazed. "Mine's pretty high too, so".

Five took a moment to ponder that odd girl who had opened her window for a stranger in the middle of the night and was taking his rudeness with class and even humor; she clearly wasn't trifling, she was smart, knew how to deal with someone like him and besides being enchanting, she managed to make him feel clumsy, self-conscious yet fascinated with her beautiful blue-green eyes and blond hair, but in a more complex way also with her wit. He hated and was infatuated with every single one of this things at once.

"And what about you?" asked Marben out of the blue.

"Me?".

"Yes, what's the story behind your number-name?".

Five realized then she didn't have the faintest idea on who he was: she had been born and raised in another country, and even though the Umbrella Academy was worldwide famous, it was likely she hadn't ever heard of it. Unexpectedly, Five didn't feel comfortable enough to tell her the truth; Marben came from a strange yet loving family, he could tell, while he…had a tyrant of an adoptive father and a machine for a mother, from which he had not accepted to get named. How could he tell this beautiful, funny and smart girl what a mess his life wa…

Realizing what he had just thought of Marben, Five snapped out of it with a startle.

"I…I have to go" he rumbled, and before the girl could say anything, he jumped.

At the Academy everything was silent, his brothers and sisters already asleep, and no trace of Grace or Pogo in the corridors. The only noise spoiling the absolute quiet was Five's raging heartbeat, which made everything else dulled; the boy opened the window next to his bed and stared at the dusty night sky of the city. Barely moments ago he'd been sitting under the same Moon, chatting with the girl - Marben -, and the thought alone of how she had made him feel scared and then angered him endlessly. Above his coward and rushed retreat, what worried him the most was that deep inside Five strongly suspected he knew what he was feeling, and why it roused such a turmoil inside him. That night, he didn't sleep at all.

_A/N: As always, thanks to you all, from the bottom of my heart._


	4. Chapter 4

4.

"Penny for your thoughts?". Myery smiled softly, plopping down on the bench; Marben returned the smile half-heartedly.

"Nothing in particular, I'm just…thinking about this and that".

"Marben".

"Yeeeeeees, mooooooom".

"You look like you've been having nightmares" said Myery, unfazed by her cousin's sass.

"Of course I've been having nightmares, My! If I ever stopped having them, THAT would be worrisome!". The red-haired girl's gaze got a bit pained.

"I'm sorry, sweetie".

"No, don't be. It's fine" Marben fondly said back. She looked up at the other girl's familiar face, red hair and dark eyes: Myery always knew how to ground her, and was never overbearing or patronizing, just protective. There had never been secrets between them. So, with a sigh, she decided to tell her everything.

"It has nothing to do with the nightmares. I…I just have a crush. The biggest one ever". Myery shifted a little, looking around furtively.

"And is he…you know, **real**?".

"Myery, I SWEAR TO GOD…".

"No, LISTEN! I had to ask!" the taller girl's hands flew up in a placating gesture. "Of course I had to ask, we've been here for…what, a fortnight?".

"Yeah, more or less".

"Goodness, Marben, and you already managed to catch someone's eye? You really have no shame!". Marben snorted, rolling her eyes.

"As if I did it on purpose…".

"So, how comes you're letting a silly crush cause you to sulk so massively?" asked Myery. Her cousin grunted.

"I'm not sulking, it's just…I've already met him thrice, and he always leaves in a rush, like he has to be somewhere else veeeeery quickly, all of a sudden. He's…cocky, and standoffish and a bit closed off, but…". At that, Myery snickered.

"But **of course** you like him, he's a jerk!".

Marben couldn't stop thinking of the last time she had seen Five: was he angry with her for having been asked about something private? One moment he had looked like he was at least enjoying trying - and failing - to make her look like a dimwit, and then, suddenly, his face had gone grim and he had **literally** disappeared. She hadn't seen him since. Almost an entire week had passed.

"I was thinking…what would your parents say, if they knew you're seeing some American bloke and neglecting your studies?".

"YOU CAN'T TELL THEM!" shouted Marben, springing from the bench to grab her cousin by the shoulders and shake her.

"I won't, relax! I just wanted to tease you a bit". This earned Myery a glare.

"And you say I'm the one without shame". The two girls threw each other an eloquent look, and then dropped any playful animosity with a shared laugh.

"So…basically what's bugging you is the fact that…you don't know if he likes you back, am I right?". Marben nodded.

"Awwww, sweetheart" cooed gently Myery, caressing her cousin's cheek with the back of her hand. "This is always the worse part. But I'm sure everything will turn out for the best, when he'll sort it out with himself. You'll see". Marben leaned in the caress, smiling fondly at that cousin that was more of a sister, to her…then a thought struck her.

"Hey…that woman at the rehearsal!". Myery stared blankly at her. "The one who started screaming, that day we played in front of the journalists! What did she call the boys and girl who had sneaked inside the school?".

"Uh…I don't know, didn't it had something to do with…umbrellas, maybe?".

"YES!'. Suddenly Marben grabbed her confused cousin by the hand and started pulling her from the bench.

"Wait, where are we going?" blurted Myery, barely catching up with Marben's pace; the blonde girl smiled mysteriously.

"To find out who's the bloke I like!'.

* * *

_A/N: Here I am again, this time with a short chapter. I hope you liked it! 'See' you next week! _


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Soundtrack: watch?v=fvVBtqJkksc

5.

Five decided right then and there that watching Marben from afar was proving, evening after evening, to be enervating: so far, he had not found the courage to approach her again, yet he still felt powerfully drawn to the girl, and it really was a dreadful mess (an unnecessary one, if he had any say in it). So, for the seventh time in a row he was perched on a safely far turn of the fire escape, like a vulture, soaking wet with rain and hiding in the dark while he watched Marben perfect some arpeggios on a muted violin, oblivious of his gloomy presence; sometimes she would glance at the window, and Five wouldn't stop deluding himself she was looking for him.

"This is pointless" the boy growled to himself, shuffling closer to the brick wall and sniffing loudly. He wasn't allowed to befriend someone outside the Academy, he knew, and yet…Marben had a way to make things feel right. And he craved the company of someone other than his siblings, someone whose intellect was as vivid as his own, someone who could challenge him. How strange, considering that until then Five had never been one for socialization. Or for crushes.

"**Completely** pointless. All of this".

From the other side of the window, Marben put the violin down and looked somberly at the night sky: Five longed to be there, to sit on her bed and listen to what she was playing, thinking of nothing other than how peaceful her mere presence made him feel. No need to prove himself when Marben smiled, to be ambitious or appropriate when she told him something funny, just the relief of being Five. It was something so highly unusual in his experience, that he was almost scared of even experiencing it.

Suddenly Marben picked up the violin again, turned to the music stand and vigorously resumed playing. She looked tense, like she was putting too much effort into holding her focus, and Five hated it. It seemed like the girl was forcing herself not to think of him…

In a flash of blue Five let himself land in the dry safety of his room, kicking the shoes off his feet, uncaring of the noise he was making or his wet clothes dampening the bedsheets. The resentment raging in his chest burned like fire, giving him the exact measure of how deep his tormented feelings were: just thinking of Marben avoiding their shared memories made him furious, and sorrowful too, for he recognized that through detachment he could regain control of himself, get rid of those troublesome emotions. Maybe that was the trick, Marben had found the right way to deal with the entire situation and unconsciously hinted it to him; perhaps she wanted to forget him and live her life as if they'd never met, and Five could use it all as the assumption he needed to suffocate his emotions and resume his training and projects without being distracted anymore. Anger and sadness be damned!

With a sigh, Five loosened his tie and closed his eyes. He now felt exhausted; his head was stuffed with so much questions and no answers in sight, and the worst of it all was that he couldn't just waltz in the dining room, one morning, asking for love advice from his family over breakfast, because sure as hell they wouldn't be pleased at all to hear him babble of such a triviality! And even if that wasn't the case, was Five really sure he was in love? Was that how it felt to be in love?

Not knowing how else to try and solve the biggest problem he had ever had, the boy impulsively snatched a chunk of chalk from his desk and started furiously scribbling numbers on the green walls of his bedroom. Calculations of probability and statistic had always been a safety net for him, and since he had just realized he was completely alone in this matter, Five had to resort to the only available source of information he had: his own mind.

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_A/N:Good afternoon everybody! Slightly anticipated update, this week, I won't be able to post tomorrow. It's my boss's fault.To all of you my most sincere wishes for a peaceful Christmas: I hope you can spend it with the people you love most, that you can eat a lot of good things and that it'll be a time of refreshment, laughter and happiness for you._  
_Love, Stieglitzz._


	6. Chapter 6

6.

"BLOODY HELL!". Marben flinched so hard that the violin slipped from her shoulder and almost from her hands too; the music stand, however, was knocked with force and tumbled noisily to the ground. The boy at the window - fist still up - started too, then.

"**Shit**! Sorry!" he blurted, but the glass blocked his voice, so he gestured her to open the window. Marben looked annoyed, and suddenly Five felt unsure about his visit: was she mad at him for the scare? Or for him disappearing in the first place? He didn't know for sure, but needed to mend their newborn friendship for the safeguard of his own mental health, so he put up a pleading face and mouthing 'please' he repeated the gesture. Marben's glare didn't falter, but at least she did acquiesce, opening the window just a tiny crack.

"Hey, uhm…". Five didn't know what to say. From this near Marben looked even more beautiful than he remembered, and watching her look at him with a stony face, imperiously lifting an eyebrow, surely didn't help his tangled tongue. Five felt himself deflate.

The boy did not dare to look up and cross Marben's eyes again, but suddenly the window was wide open and the girl seated on the windowsill, shoving something in front of him. Sweets. Five looked at Marben, then, stunned by her holding a dignified attitude even perched on a windowsill while offering candies.

"Jaffa cakes" she simply said. "Have some. You look like you could use something sweet". Five watched Marben send him a kind glance without any lingering traces of her previous hostility, and he had to hastily lower his gaze to the cakes, otherwise he would have done something really, **really **stupid. Like saying she was all the solace and sweetness he needed.

The candies were fantastic, dark chocolate and bittersweet orange jelly: before he could stop, Five had already devoured four of them under Marben's pleased yet dumbfounded blue-green gaze, and was well on his way to eat the rest. When only two of the Jaffa cakes were left at the bottom of the box, the boy backed away from the window; he passed the back of his left hand on his mouth and refrained only a second away from belching. That did not fool Marben anyway, since she threw her head back and laughed heartily, snatching a snicker from Five too.

"Wow…those were delicious! Thanks for sharing…I skipped dinner, tonight". Marben's smile dimmed a little.

"I figured that out" she said softly, and then asked "Are you alright, Five?". In response, his shoulders sagged a little and he smirked sardonically.

"Of course I'm fine".

"Sorry if I asked, but…you look like you need to talk to someone".

"It's fine, I…just hate every-**fucking**-thing that happens in my life, but apparently that's just how puberty works!" Five thereupon growled through clenched teeth. "Which is complete bullshit, because I don't see other kids my age being treated like damn soldiers by their parents!".

Marben was taken aback by the sudden, ferocious spite in Five's voice, and yet didn't budge. She gently placed a hand on his shoulder and listened.

"Our Father wears us out in training, yet while the others get to actually accomplish something, I have to stay put **and behave**, do only what he says! He never gives me the credit to do anything. ANYTHING!". Five's hands went flying in the air, his eyes ablaze with anger, his movements so harsh even his always neatly combed hair started to ruffle. Marben let her hand slide from his shoulder and watched dejectedly as he ranted about denied opportunities, mistreated sisters, missions gone wrong and a stolen childhood. When Five was finally over, he stopped abruptly to pull inside big gulps of air; he was drained, shaking from residual anger and felt a little guilty too. Marben climbed over the windowsill and reached him on the fire escape. From this near, the boy looked terrified, with eyes wide open and wheezing, so she took his hand and squeezed it. Suddenly, all of Five's erratic focus was on her.

"I'm so sorry, Five. I wish things were better for you and your siblings".

"Well…thanks, but it's not gonna change anything, innit?".

Marben didn't let the snide remark strike her. Instead, she stood up on her tiptoes to lay a gentle, lingering kiss on Five's cheek, and then came down, replacing her lips with her forehead: he still was fuming, but let himself lean in the contact with a deep sigh, squeezing her hand back. They stayed like that for a while, on the fire escape surrounded by the night breeze, and eventually, little by little Five stopped shaking.


	7. Chapter 7

7.

"I've got something for you". Marben turned her head so quickly she almost hurt herself.

"Five!". Crouched on the windowsill, the boy gave her a cheeky grin in lieu of a greeting.

"Who would you have expected, Santa Claus?". Marben gave him an eloquent look and tittered. Very prettily, in Five's opinion.

"I'd rather keep you, thanks" she said.

"Extremely wise decision, considering that Santa Claus doesn't exist!".

"Or considering that Santa Claus hasn't got pretty green eyes and dimples". Five flushed violently coughing a nervous little laugh, and Marben was vividly reminded of how she had felt herself fall for him, a few weeks prior when they had first met. She felt like it was happening all over again.

Seeing how Five was at a total loss for words, she decided to help him.

"So. What is it?".

"Wha'…" Five cleared his throat. "What?".

"You said you brought me something".

"OH! Yes!". Flagging a brown paper bag, Five held out his free hand inviting her outside; Marben smiled brightly and took it just for the pleasure of feeling his warm skin against hers, for she wasn't in need of any assistance in climbing out of the window. On the fire escape, Five made a show of sitting on a step and patting it for Marben to take place by his side. She acquiesced, trying to get a glimpse of what was inside the paper bag.

"No, don't peek, you curious little thing!".

"But Five, you're taking too long!". The boy chuckled and finally pulled out a square envelope from the bag.

"Peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich, my lady" he explained in a fake english accent while peeling the paper away from the bread. "Welcome to America".

"I've…never tried it, before…" whispered Marben, watching the sandwich with puzzlement. "I don't even know what peanut butter alone tastes like, to be honest!".

"Let's take baby steps, then. This delicacy deserves to be savored with the utmost devotion!". Five and Marben grinned goofily at each other and then laughed. When they managed to catch their breaths again, Five opened the sandwich, picked up a peanut butter smeared marshmallow and offered it to Marben. She took it, and with a curious smile put it into her mouth. Only to immediately scrunch her face in a pained grimace.

"What, don't you like it?" asked Five, a little disappointed. "Is it really that disgusting?".

"My teeth hurt so bad!".

"Jeez…swallow, then, quickly!". Marben did just that, fighting a little with the viscosity of the not-quite-yet melted marshmallow, but once the candy was completely off her teeth she felt slightly better.

"Ouch" she mumbled behind the hand that she kept pressed on her mouth, under the scrutiny of a mortified Five.

"Shit, I'm sorry Marben…".

"No, don't be! It's just sensitivity, it'll pass in a tick!". She grabbed Five's hand and squeezed it, to let him know she really was fine; the boy looked at her timidly, almost guiltily, but when he saw that behind the hand she was smiling he relaxed, and smiled back softly. They looked at each other for some time, without saying a world, just holding hands. When Marben felt better she insisted in trying the peanut butter, so Five split the sandwich once more and gave her a tiny piece of bread completely devoid of marshmallows; when she tried it, Marben's eyes went wide and she groaned in such an undignified way that snatched a guffaw from Five -who was trying really hard to not let the sound affect him in any of the very confusing ways his head suggested-.

The Moon rose and set while the two teenagers talked about everything and nothing, sharing fond smiles and a single peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich: bread and peanut butter for Marben, and raw marshmallows for Five that for the entire time thought to have never had something more tasty in his whole life.

* * *

_A/N: ...a little sweetness for these guys. _

_Still no messages...really, is there not even a mistake to be corrected in the first seven chapters?_  
_I wish every single one of you a happy new year. Love._


	8. Chapter 8

8.

"You're a very talented musician" said Five one evening, after he'd been silently listening her practice for the better part of an hour. Marben flushed and smiled sweetly at him.

"My sister's been endlessly pestering our Father about borrowing his violin, since she saw you playing for the press…oh, sorry about ruining it, by the way. The most sincere apologies from me and my siblings".

"Apologies accepted" the girl conceded, with fake haughty attitude, "Only because it wasn't really your fault: Myery and I got interrupted by a screeching woman among the public".

"Yes, but a bit of the blame goes to my two brothers too. Diego and Klaus came in looking for girls". Five looked uncomfortable while saying it.

"And what about you?" Marben asked promptly, and although that made her blush she did not retract. "Didn't you come in…looking for girls?".

"Not really. Usually romantic involvements are of no interest, to me…however, someone still managed to catch my eye that day". Marben's eyes shot up to find Five staring at her, with a surprisingly tender smile on his face. In that moment she felt like crying and screaming, and laughing out loud, and telling him he was the most exciting thing ever happened to her. Instead she smiled, bashful and radiant at once, put her violin down and reached Five on the windowsill, sitting by his side; he was still looking at her like she was something magical, so Marben rested her head on his shoulder and felt him vibrate with the sheer emotion that simple contact ignited.

"Is your father a musician too, then?" she asked softly after a while. Five felt like he was being forcibly torn from a dream.

"What? No! For some reason he owns a violin and that's all. I don't even think he can play it" the boy said dismissively, not wanting to talk about his Father. Feeling suddenly jealous of his time spent with the blonde girl, Five tried to dispel the gloomy aura evoked by his Father's name by clumsily resting his head on Marben's. He wasn't sure he was doing it right, but he immediately felt relieved.

"Mmmmh. Well, it's not for everyone: bow technique is a bitch, finger calluses too…and you need a swift left hand…".

"Yay, power to the lefties!". Marben ignored him, smirking.

"…elastic tendons and articular dexterity. Then come shoulder and back pains…".

"Cool. So what should I tell Vanya, if I wanted to cheer her up?" joked Five, getting reacquainted with his usual irony after a surprisingly sweet moment; Marben looked up at him with a strongly passionate smile.

"That everything will be worth it".

'Y**ou **are worth everything' thought Five, overpowered by the sudden impulse to lean down and kiss her rosy lips. Never before he had felt that compelled to kiss someone, or to act like the older boys and girls he'd seen on the streets and in the cafes, all grabby hands, languid eyes and kissing so ravenously it looked like they were trying to eat each other's faces off. It simply had never appealed to him. But now it did, it was new and Five wasn't scared in the slightest: he was actually feeling all warm and fizzing. So he did lean down, just a fraction, and Marben got the hint, she craned her neck…and kissed his cheek. Five stayed there, struggling over the glorious sensation of her lips on his face and the desolation of the cold night breeze on his own mouth; luckily, he was somewhat spared the embarrassment of having to look in the girl's eyes, for she immediately nested her head back on his shoulder.

"I could teach your sister some of the basics, if she wanted" whispered Marben, still focused on Vanya's interest in strings. But having his romantic leap ignored so blatantly had gotten Five bugged, so he was having none of it anymore.

"Yes, that would be…very generous, of you". He cleared his throat and in the gentlest possible way slipped away from her.

"Sorry, but…I have to, uh, go. The old man could find out any moment that I'm not in my bed, and having to explain myself about it would surely be unpleasant". With a strained smile and a stiff nod, Five made to align his fists and jump, but Marben grabbed him swiftly by a wrist, making him turn in the process: without a single warning, a small and cold hand cupped his cheek, and smooth, strangely warm lips sealed themselves on his own. Five's eyes shot wide open for the surprise while he gasped, then relaxed with a sigh and closed them when he felt Marben's lips latch more firmly. And then, it was glorious. A warm and gentle - if a bit clumsy - kiss in the quiet of the night, on a fire escape, exchanged by two teenagers too smitten with each other to utter a single world about it.

"I still love to kiss the moles on your dimple" Marben whispered fondly when they parted, tracing with her thumb the offending dimpled cheek that had stolen the previous kiss. Five smiled radiantly, and looking at her dazzled face, felt completely anew.

* * *

_A/N: …and at last, FINALLY A KISS! You're welcome. A lot of fluff is coming, I warn you. You'll get plenty of it._

_I wish to send a sincere and devoted 'thank you' to whomever is giving visibility to this little story. You're all very kind, and I think of you with fondness and gratitude. _

_Love, Stieglitzz_


	9. Chapter 9

9.

One night, Five had to wait almost two hours before Marben showed up in her room: he was beginning to feel pissed and even worried when the door of the little dorm burst open and, breathless and disheveled, she came by the window to force it open with the same urgency. Five stared at her for a moment, intrigued.

"Is it rude to throw Xanax in someone's mouth while it's talking?" she asked then, skipping the pleasantries altogether. Five smirked.

"Yes, it is". Marben grimaced and threw her head back in dramatic disdain.

"You're no fun AT. ALL".

"Of course I am, you simply didn't let me finish!".

"So what?". Five chuckled indulgently.

"I was trying to say that **yes**, it is very rude to throw Xanax in someone's mouth while it's talking…but who cares? I would die to see what would follow! Just let me poke around through my brother's things, I'm sure he has some". One glance at his smiling, impish face and Marben found herself mimicking the grin. Which made Five feel elated, but a bit apprehensive too.

"Wait, you really want to try that?".

"Let's just say there's this obnoxious teacher who made us rehearse **for hours** \- hence the reason I'm late…".

"Oh no, you're not dulling someone who's in charge of your wellbeing inside this fancy music school!" said Five categorically, shaking his head. "I won't allow it". Marben snorted.

"Come on, what's the worst that could happen to me, here? Get a paper cut from the music sheets?". She threw her arms wide open for emphasis, a gesture that Five recognized as the one he was prone to when frustrated. He kept his gaze inflexible even if that thought made him feel things, and eventually Marben relented.

"Ok, fine. No Xanax" she finally snarked with a sulk; she seated herself in a corner of the windowsill as Five took the opposite, facing her way. They just sat in silence for a bit, both waiting for the other to say something; then Marben noticed the inside of Five's left wrist. Pulling gently, she peeked under the shirtsleeve.

"A tattoo?". Five grimaced slightly.

"Obviously". The girl gave him a strange glance, but it was gone so quickly that the boy wondered if it had really happened. "It's a…family thing. Sort of".

Marben nodded, but didn't ask anything else: she knew how much family was a difficult topic to discuss, for Five. So, she deflected it on herself.

"I've always liked tattoos" she said softly, stroking the tender, inked skin of Five's wrist. "I find them fascinating".

"I find them painful" countered Five shortly. Marben realized that she had failed in her intent to gently approach the topic without being traumatic; Five looked at her, and saw regret and apprehension in her eyes. Letting immediately go of his bitterness, he attempted a smile. "But I bet if you ever got one, it would look lovely".

Marben smiled sadly at him, then she scooted closer and without as much as a hint, cupped Five's cheek, leaned in and kissed his lips. He kissed back at once, sighing in solace and placing a hand on her shoulder.

They parted twice, the first time only to initiate another kiss between timid giggles, and the second one to scoop closer to each other, Marben resting her head on his shoulder and Five leaning against it; this time the boy allowed himself to circumspectly breath big lungfuls of her scent, which he found deeply calming and made his heart beat at a breakneck pace.

"I'm sorry I got late this time" she murmured. Five patted her knee.

"It's fine, Doll. It was you teacher's fault, after all".

"But you've been waiting here for an eternity, freezing yourself to the bone!". To express all her dissent, Marben pressed her face down on Five's shoulder, like a riotous child hiding from the disappointing world. "You can teleport yourself straight inside, from now on. It's getting too cold and I'd go completely crazy if you were to fall ill and couldn't come visit".

Five was dumbfounded for a few seconds, for it was the first time Marben had directly referred to his power; amazement overcome, he snickered fondly.

"Spacial jumping, Doll. That's the proper name for what I do". Marben peeked up from the folds of his clothing, forcing him to crane his neck uncomfortably to look her in the eye.

"So…is it not the same thing?".

"Uh, I…guess it is. Or not. Shit, I don't know!". They both burst into laughs, but short-lived ones, because at some point Marben sat up straight.

"What did you just call me?" she asked, looking at Five with a puzzled look on her face; the boy donned his best cheeky and crooked grin, but his embarrassment was evident nonetheless.

"Doll" he simply said, and when his voice cracked a little he felt like wanting to die. Fucking puberty!

But once more Marben demonstrated to be the most extraordinary girl London could have ever sent his way, and smiled delighted without making fun of his sappiness or his unpredictable voice.

"Doll" she repeated under her breath, as if testing the sound of it. Five couldn't resist the unprecedented impulse to caress her flushed cheek like it was the most delicate and precious thing in the whole world.

"Can I? Call you like that, I mean". Marben leaned in his touch.

"Of course you can. Dimple".

"WHAT?". The two of them started laughing so hard their eyes prickled: Five tickled Marben trying to make her forget his scandalized squawk (and to make her take back the ridiculous nickname she had just buckled him with), but she refused to surrender, and to everything he said just answered showering his face and head with kisses that made him flush violently, between giggles and a few tears of mirth. Five told that nobody was ever going to take him seriously if she kept calling him Dimple, and Marben countered that he was so old-fashioned for calling her Doll that they were probably about to reach retirement age by saying it. In the end they reached a truce, agreeing to never call each other names unless they were alone, and sealed the deal with a long, lingering kiss.

* * *

_A/N: A little more sweetness for our adorable fools. What will we see in the next chapter? Still fluff? Horror? Anger? Some fun? Maybe drama? Happiness? A plot twist? Boredom? _

_Wanna bet? :)_


	10. Chapter 10

10.

Marben jumped at the sudden sound of a frizzing crackle and a bluish lightning: she spun around with a yelp, fearing some short circuit in the electrical system, and gave a little cry when she saw a pristine looking Five standing in the middle of her bedroom while she was already in her pajamas.

"FUCK ME! It's you!". Five gave her a lopsided smirk.

"Oh, how I love it, when you say dirty things to me".

"FIVE HARGREEVES, YOU IMPOSSIBLE GIT!" bellowed Marben, flushing bright red and throwing a pillow at the boy's face; Five ducked, laughing out loud.

"Is this the way to greet your boyfriend? Come on, Doll, where's my kiss?". Marben went to him sort of shyly; she gave him the sweetest kiss, but he still could sense something was off.

"Hey" Five said softly then, breaking the kiss, "Is everything okay? Are **you** okay?".

"I got scared" she reluctantly admitted with a a pout. "And then realized it was nothing, and got angry at myself. Sorry, babe, don't mind me". Before Five could tell anything, she took his hand and guided him toward her bed, offering him a place to seat. The boy let himself fall on the mattress with a light bounce.

"I'm glad you're here. I missed you" whispered Marben leaning down for a peck.

"Already?".

"Yes. I always miss you, when you're away".

Five grabbed her by a wrist to drag her down on the bed; she fell beside him with a little cry which immediately morphed into a laugh, and together they let themselves tumble untidily on their backs. Marben straightaway groped for one of Five's hands and rested her head on his shoulder, as by then was her custom.

For a bit they stayed like that, their furious heartbeats rumbling in their ears while they basked in the pure, gentle elation of feeling comfortable with each other without having to utter even a single word. Five needed the peace Marben's presence bore like air, and Marben was irredeemably addicted to the clumsy sweetness she knew he reserved only for her. And that was what brought a sudden question to her lips.

"I would never have believed you a softie, when we met: are you this affectionate with your siblings too?". That made Five sputter.

"A…a **softie**? ME?".

"Yes, you. As in tender-hearted, gentle" fluted Marben with a smile; above her, Five's face was getting stonier by the second. "Five? You okay?".

"I…I absolutely am not like that".

"Babe, we're not doing much else than cuddling and snogging, lately" said the girl, matter of factly. "And there's nothing wrong with it. I love it, in fact".

Five stayed silent and rigid. Marben could sense his internal struggle with himself by touch alone: she didn't need to be told this was something related to how Five had been raised and how bad things were in his household. She just knew. And suddenly the oppressing frustration of always having to carefully choose her words around him overwhelmed her. They hadn't even properly defined their relationship yet, and Five had already shut her off in at least three different occasions. She was getting fed up with this mysterious Umbrella Academy.

"Fine. Let's just pretend I didn't say anything". Swiftly, Marben left his hand and stood up; she picked up her violin and bow, checked the mute was firmly secured to the strings and started playing what was written on the first staff that caught her eye, the music stand still displaying her last studies.

Behind her, an evenly confused, mad and sheepish Five sat up too, running a hand through his tousled hair.

"I know there's nothing wrong with being affectionate, Marben" he said seriously, and hearing him say her given name scared her a bit, but she didn't relent in any way. "It's just I've been taught it's a waste of time. I'm not used to intimacy".

"And yet when we make out it seems to come naturally to you. Five".

"Don't do this" Five sharply replied. "Tonight was turning out just fine, why do you want to spoil it?".

Marben stopped her playing abruptly, tearing the bow from the strings with such indignation it produced a screech, and spun to look at Five.

"I looked up informations on your family, at the Library" she said dryly; Five looked gobsmacked.

"It…it wasn't…you shouldn't ha…".

"WHY? You're famous, your life is displayed by television and papers for everyone to see, BUT I DON'T GET TO KNOW ANYTHING OF IT! And I just want to know who you are!" Marben exploded, raising her voice. "You keep coming and going, I see you everywhere and every single time you flee like you're…I don't know, scared or chased by something!". She stopped a moment to gather some of her wits, which she found tremendously hard to do; in the meantime, Five had shut his mouth and was now looking at her with wide eyes, still angry but showing something akin to understanding too.

"Why you look so fucking full of hatred toward your father? And why does he look at you like you're just an undisciplined dog to restrain? You and your siblings all dress the same way, walk in a row in the same bloody arrangement all the time, you always stick to yourselves and no one is allowed to speak to you! It's…". Tears welled up in Marben's eyes and started running down her cheeks at once; she lowered her gaze, not finding the courage to confront Five while crying.

"You look unhappy, Five" she said finally, staring at the floor. "And I hate it, you don't deserve it. I want to be there for you, to help you through it…because I worry so much. The problem is, I don't know how to do it if you don't talk to me". Out of her sight, Five nodded, with a sardonic grimace on his face.

"You're right" he said after a little while, "And that's exactly why I wanted you to stay out from all that: it's private, none of your concern and if I wanted to fix it, it wouldn't be your help I'd ask for".

Marben looked up, then, at the boy she had fell in love with the very first time they had met. Through all her tears Five looked blurred, yet his usual good-looking self. How could she look at him and still find him so amazing after what he had just told her? And **how dared he **to look that composed after dismissing so superficially her anguish and tears?

Violin and bow still in hand, Marben fled from her room slamming the door. On her bed, Five sagged back on the mattress, head between his own hands.

"Shit!".

* * *

_A/N: ...the right answer was 'drama'. Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you…_


	11. Chapter 11

11.

"You really look like shit" said the red-haired kid. Marben forced herself to lift her gaze to meet his one.

"Thanks. You look dazzling too, all things considered". The kid smiled, flashing his discontinuous toothing and exhibiting dirty, torn clothes without a single care in the world. Marben thought that being that carefree should be the goal of a lifetime…and then brusquely reprimanded herself. She surely didn't want to be like him.

"Sorry, Fulv, I've been indelicate".

"Don't worry, little one, you know I love you regardless" said Fulv cheerfully. Marben smiled at him with fondness.

"I love you too, big one. By the way, how is it possible that a tiny ball of cotton wool like you owns such a foul mouth?". The kid shrugged. "Seriously, Fulvius, where did you learn to talk like that?".

"Who cares? It's not like you're gonna tell my mom, anyway!".

"No, of course I'm not" sighed Marben. She didn't say anything else for a while, but the kid's eyes never left her so she knew the quiet was not going to last. In fact, it wasn't long before Fulvius decided to throw himself headlong in the problem at hand.

"So. Is this the skinny boy's fault?". Marben nodded.

"Yes".

"Ah! Skinny, gangly, scathing Five! Told you, you're too precious for that jerk".

"Just hear the whole story, before you judge him: he's angry with me because he thinks I sort of invaded his privacy…and therefore he thought he was entitled to dismiss me implying that I'm…worthless, or some shit like that".

"And you wonder where did I learn to swear?". The girl threw him a dirty look, and Fulvius let the humor drop immediately; with a sigh, he sat beside her on the bench and took her hand in his small, dirty ones. "I'm sorry, little one. You know I don't understand much of these things…".

"Yeah, that's why I usually don't ask you for love advice. In case you were wondering" said Marben, leaning to kiss his cheek; Fulvius wiped it with the sleeve of his ugly jumper.

"Whatever. What I was trying to say, is that I'd hate to see you wallow in this nasty heartbreak for who knows how much longer. He's been an arsehole: what else do you need to forget him?".

Marben shook her head, sighing and staring ahead, at something on the other side of the street.

"I think I love him" she admitted.

"Oh, fuck".

"Indeed".

It always had been scary, to think it, but now that Marben had said it out loud a whole new kind of dread was coming down on her: they sounded so absolute, those few words, 'I think I love him'. Like Five was the only one for her, the love of her life, the only right choice. That same boy who had stomped on her feelings and, as if that hadn't been enough, had humiliated her too.

Out of nowhere she scoffed, physically shrugging off all the negativity. She couldn't stand the unfairness of her shame one moment more.

"To think I was going to ask you to be my girlfriend, instead…". Marben looked with wide eyes at Fulv's impish face, and the both of them cracked up laughing. It felt so good, to laugh after days of chagrin, that Marben wished to never stop doing it..

"God, what an awful pair we would make!".

"Illegal, I would say, in sooo many ways". Marben was laughing again, now wiping tears of mirth from the corners of er eyes too. Fulvius always knew how to cheer her up, what to say to make her feel better…he was almost as good as her cousin Myery.

"Come to think of it, I might have a penchant for red hair without ever having realized it" she said. Fulv looked like he wanted to smile, but aborted the attempt abruptly: turning her head to follow the kid's stare, Marben came face to face with the boy she had seen walking on the other side of the street mere moments prior.

"Hey" he greeted with a little wave of a hand. "Is your name, by chance, Marben?".

Marben stared blankly at his wavy and tousled hair, kind smile and very familiar uniform, not in the mood to be friendly with someone from the Umbrella Academy, right then.

"I'm…".

"The Séance. Or should I call you Number Four?". The boy's smile faltered a little.

"It's…Klaus, in fact" he said, holding out a hand; Marben didn't make a move to shake it, so he awkwardly took it back, choosing instead to fish a lighter and a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. "It's a real pleasure, to meet you".

"Likewise. To what do I owe this far-fetched meeting?". Klaus looked at her dumbfounded, and she impatiently lifted an eyebrow. "You know, I watched you come from afar: you were kind of strolling aimlessly, at first, but then you decided to come right here, the moment you spotted me. You Hargreeves are not the sneakiest of people, I have to say. Again".

"What, is this one of the idiot's brothers?" blurted Fulvius out of the blue. Klaus shifted his confused gaze on the kid and they watched each other with an air of mutual distrust; Marben gave both a cautious sideways glance.

"Yes, he is" she said in a neutral tone, and then the moment was gone.

"Uh…I'm not here on behalf of Five…or to talk about him, for all that matters" said Klaus lighting his cigarette; suddenly, he looked like his mind was completely elsewhere. Marben thought his gaze was a bit vacant, and wondered if the boy wasn't high on something even if he seemed pristine and respectable like all the Umbrella Kids always did, cigarette apart.

"What brought you here, then?". With a dazzling smile, Klaus leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, blowing smoke directly on Marben's face.

"I just wanted to see what all Five's drama was about. And I didn't get disappointed". Saying so, he picked Marben's hand from the bench and kissed it seductively; the girl flushed bright red and couldn't find anything to say back. It didn't matter anyway, because Klaus took his leaving with a charming smile and all was left of his presence was a cloud of acrid smoke, the girl's astonishment and the frankly disconcerting flow of swear words a little Fulvius in full protective mode was throwing at his retreating back.

* * *

A/N: Small, sweet, idiosyncratic Fulvius. I love him so much!

I want to play a game with you: how do you think he and Marben met? WRONG ANSWERS ONLY!

PS: From now on, two weekly updates!


	12. Chapter 12

_Chapter Soundtrack: watch?v=vGxrFWBQoQ0_

12.

Five landed without even realizing it, for his whole being was in its entirety focused into hoping that the girl in the dorm was already sound asleep. Luckily, the hissing sound of his spacial jump didn't perturb the quiet of the night, and once ascertained the safety of his surroundings, the boy sighed in relief.

Marben looked like a small, composed heap under the ton of covers; it was a consolation, to see her finally sleeping in her bed after she'd left it empty for several nights in a row to go and hide up somewhere else. Now she had her back to the window - the curtains were closed, as they had always been in the last few days, sending a clear message, STAY AWAY FIVE HARGREEVES, YOU ARSEHOLE. But at least she had come back. And Five couldn't, for the life of him, give up on the only authentic, genuinely loving and kind person he had ever had by his side. So he cautiously approached the bed, and leaned forward to watch the girl sleep.

It wasn't the first time he had done something like this; back at the beginning of their acquaintance, when they didn't even know each other by name, Five had sneaked inside the dorm at night a couple of times to watch Marben sleep and try and understand what of her had got him hooked from the very start. Had it been her beauty? Her smile? Her smart, witty retorts or the contagious euphoria she seemed to transmit when she played her violin? She undoubtedly was mysterious, and funny, sweet and even a bit sexy (even if Five didn't know for sure what that meant)…but what, in the first place, had got his attention to never let it go? By then Five had still to find some of his answers, but at last they would have mattered next to nothing, since he already had discovered himself dependent on everything beautiful Marben had brought in his life. He'd been a heartless dick the night of their argument, he'd known from the very moment those last awful words had left his mouth. She had been worried about him, crying in sorrow, and yet he had chose to be harsh with her out of anger. He had been angry at life in general, for having been sold by his real mother and bought by a cruel man who cared for him and his siblings only for the personal gratification of seeing his final project realized, for being subjected to hours and hours of exhausting training, for not being allowed to just spend an entire day with his brothers and sisters doing whatever they liked…for, basically, not being free. And loved. His life was a complete mess, and for all he tried to be the perfect super-boy his Father wanted him to be, never ever betraying his inner malaise, he was constantly furious and embittered. Not even the relationships he shared with his siblings (some more close-knit, others less so) gave him some solace from his misery; the only person who had managed to, so far, was the girl currently sleeping in front of him, the one he had kept at a distance, lied to, treated like someone worthless. A girl so pure to not resist the pressure of not having told him she had been looking up for informations on him, and that so had confessed.

Lulled by the soft, almost imperceptible sound of her breathing, Five extended a hand to move away some mutinous hair from Marben's face, and doing so he was assaulted by a tremendous rush of guilt and longing. He wished he was allowed to bury his face in those long, silky hair and fill his lungs with their scent, then caress her soft cheek, gently turn her head and kiss those dear lips he missed so much. He yearned to wrap his arms around Marben's body and hold her tight against his chest, feeling her warmth transmit to his limbs and make him forget everything he was outside her little, cozy dorm. Five needed her delicate fingers to run through his hair, her kind voice to whisper comforting words to his ear and to be called Dimple, Love, Babe again. He craved to try all those things he had denied himself for fear of going against everything he had been taught, all the soft touches, the freedom of experiencing intimacy, the absolute sweetness of love. Marben was pure love, and he needed her to love him again to soothe his bleeding heart.

"I can't endure anymore the mess that my life is. Not without you" he murmured against her cheek, then kissed it tenderly. "Please, give me the chance to make amends". She kept breathing softly, unaware of his presence, so he stayed a little bit more by her side, watching her, thinking he could die of heartache.


	13. Chapter 13

_Chapter Soundtrack: __ watch?v=lUvG61iP730_

13.

A gentle knock on the glass made Marben jolt out of her practice and her head turn brusquely to the window: she couldn't see through the curtains, yet she knew perfectly well who was beyond them, waiting for a sign. Despite the flush of anger that roared into her chest, her heart started beating joyously.

Meanwhile, on the fire escape her hesitancy hadn't gone unnoticed. A series of clear knocks and pauses spelled a plea in morse code. Damn Five who did not know she was fluent in morse code and yet deemed her smart enough to try using it! Thinking of him all alone in the cold night made Marben feel restless.

Taking a deep breath, the girl put the violin and bow in their case and went to at least peek from behind the curtains: condensation clouded almost completely the glass, but through the vapor Marben could vaguely discern the familiar form she had hoped to see every single one of the last few nights, and at the same time not to see ever again. Now he was here for real, and underneath all her oppressive, ugly feelings, she had desperately missed him all along. She needed to see him, even just to lock eyes with him one more time. So she passed a hand on the glass.

Five was there, looking hopeful to an almost touching extent: he too placed a hand on the window, as if to try to touch Marben's. In that moment she understood, he was respecting her wish not to have her space invaded, otherwise he could just have materialized inside without a warning. Five had chose to let her set the pace, this time.

Feeling fondness and gratitude burst inside herself, Marben let them fight her still rightful anger for dominance, and then opened the window. Five almost fell inside, having suddenly lost his support, but caught himself in time and looked up at Marben in utter amazement. The two teens stared at each other for a moment that seemed to last a lifetime, unmoving. Then Five lifted one of his cold hands and caressed Marben's cheek like she was the most delicate and pure of flowers.

"I'm sorry" he said in a rushed whisper, without a hint of hesitance. "I am so sorry for what I've done and said…please, Marben, let me try to make it up to you. I would always be grateful even if you just wanted to consider it".

Marben had never seen a more sincere gaze, before. It pleased her to know Five wasn't trying to fool her, but there was something she needed to say.

"I'll make myself clear, Five: treat me again like you did last time and we're done. Forever" she said sternly. "I won't tolerate anything of that sort, less than ever something worse. So if you want to give us another try we'll need to talk, know each other for real and be on the same page". Five nodded eagerly.

"Absolutely. I…I learned my lesson, and…".

"I hadn't finished yet" Marben interrupted him, and seeing the boy shut his mouth that quickly would have been comical, hadn't the atmosphere been so tense. "I won't excuse being shut out too: whatever will trouble you, whenever you'll need support…talk to me. Understood?".

Five had been looking contritely at her, but all of a sudden something like a mixture of fear and intrigue brightened his green eyes; despite herself, Marben wondered what it was, but he didn't give her the time to acknowledge it.

"Of course. I…I swear, Marben, I won't be disrespectful or dismissive again. And from now on I promise to…open up to you, too". Five said the last part almost gritting his teeth - Marben saw that even promising to talk about his family and childhood was demonstrating to be a dire effort, for him, but he was making it nonetheless. So she decided to swallow her own pride too and meet him halfway.

"It is possible that I've been intrusive…I'm sorry if you felt like your privacy had been breached…".

"NO!" the boy interrupted her brusquely, "No, it…it's not like that. You did nothing wrong, Marben…everyone already knew whatever you found on my family. Everyone except you, as you told me…and none of this would have happened in the first place, if only I had told it to you". Marben smiled at him, sadly.

"It won't happen again, I promise. I won't force you…".

"I don't feel forced" Five rushed to say "Just…hunted. By what I've always been imposed to do or not to do. I…I am still trying to learn to be myself".

Feeling a solace so raw that brought tears to her eyes, then, Marben placed a hand on the one Five was keeping on her cheek and gave him a guilty smile.

"I think I love you" she admitted feebly, and Five looked dumbstruck, like she had just said the most impossible of things. It lasted for just a few seconds, though: with a feline jump he climbed over the windowsill, cupped both of the girl's cheeks and pulled her into a passionate kiss. Marben lost herself in it straightaway, clinging to Five's back like he was her safety net, and savored the texture of his cold lips, their labored breaths mingling, the smacking sound of their lips separating and finding each other again while their tongues roamed, both of them finally meeting one another fully through the senses of touch and taste, without hindrance.

"I…I guess I reciprocate" Five said when they finally parted, short of breath, with an elated look on his handsome face and another sweet caress. Marben's heart did something strange, like a huge somersault. "Can't be entirely sure, though, I've never felt this way before…".

"Oh…then it could just be stomach flu!". Five let out a sudden and loud laugh.

"No, no…I can tell it's not stomach flu. Must be love".

"You…really do?". The boy laughed again, now incredulously.

"Yes! How could I not?". Marben smiled shyly at him, shaking her head, nescient. "It simply wouldn't be possible" Five assured her, "And I'm sorry it took me so long to understand it".

"Enough with the apologies. Don't let them spoil the moment, babe".

"How I missed being called that…and how I missed **you**, my dear".

Smiling proud and full of fondness at once, Marben closed both the window and the curtains.

"Stay, tonight" she insisted, without a single fear in the world now that Five had said he loved her back; she didn't even fear getting caught with a boy in her room by a teacher, in the morning. Nothing could scare her anymore.

Five looked at the closed curtains once, wavering slightly, but then gave her the most luminous of smiles, nodding firmly, and giggling like the two lovesick kids they were, they nestled together under the covers.

* * *

_A/N: Do you want to share your thoughts on this with the class? :)_


	14. Chapter 14

"So? How do we do it?".

"How do we get to each other for real, you mean?".

"Yes".

"Starting from the beginning, of course!".

"Like the day we were born?".

"I didn't mean to go that far in the past, you dimwit!".

"I was joking, you dummy!".

"Har har har. You were born to be a comedian, why are you wasting your time playing superhero?".

"Because life is unfair. Come on, Doll, don't be so biting: we have just reconciled!".

"I'm still mad at you, you know. It takes more than a few nice words to mend the tear".

"I know. But…we just admitted a serious sentimental involvement toward each other, right?".

"Yeah, so?".

"Let's start to make it better, then".

"You're right. Anyway, I believe it would only be fair if you were to start".

"All right. Can I…say anything that comes to my mind?".

"Of course, babe. Whatever you feel comfortable with, I'll be listening".

"I'm sort of…fond of my siblings. Sometimes. But our relationship isn't of any company to me".

"I'm really sorry to hear that, love".

"What about you? Are you an only child?".

"Oh, no, I've got two brothers and two sisters! I come from a numerous family too".

"Jeez! And are your sisters as fetching as you are? Because if that were the case…".

"**Don't be an idiot and go on**".

"Fine, fine. Uh…I've got a massive sweet tooth, but you probably already knew it…".

"I do. Next".

"Demanding, aren't we?".

"Don't get whiny, you like it!".

"I might".

"Come on, Five, tell me something new!".

"We have a maid, at the Academy: she's a machine and her name is Grace, but we call her Mom or Mother. She named us - you know, gave us real names, before then we were just numbers - but I flat-out refused the one she chose for me and asked everyone to keep calling me Number Five".

"Why?".

"Because she is not my mother, and what's the use of a name if you don't even have real parents to call you by it?".

"I understand".

"Besides, once 'Number' gets left out, 'Five' works just fine. What about your mother? Was it her who picked your funny name, in the end?".

"I wouldn't say so. I've got two dads, babe".

"Oh. I hadn't…".

"It's fine, we've never talked about it".

"…how do you call them? To differentiate, I mean".

"Dad and Father. Another one?".

"I've never kissed a girl who wasn't you".

"…and yet I couldn't have said! It must be talent…".

"You think? Why don't we practice some more, then? Help me improve my kissing technique, baby…".

"Oh, Five!".

* * *

_A/N: Hello everyone! I'll steal only a few more seconds of your time to tell you a couple of things about how I'm managing the drafting of the plot :) there will be several of these unnumbered parts, scattered here and there between the rest of chapters, that will be written in this particular style to emphasize the intimacy of the dialogue between Marben and Five; lastly, although I've read the comics I try to put my story closer to the Netflix show, so that's why I wanted Five to receive a name but also to refuse it. I hope you continue to like this little story :) Thanks you for the attention!_


	15. chapter 15

14.

Waking up from slumber to an armful of sleeping Five became in a single instant Marben's favorite thing in the whole world: half sprawled on her, his uncharacteristically tousled head resting on her shoulder and breathing through his mouth (lightly drooling on her pajamas), he couldn't have looked more different from his usual composed self, and yet Marben felt herself fall in love with this vulnerable side of him with the same force of the first time around. He looked so relaxed, and adorable, in the timidly pinkish light of dawn…

Kissing his fringe - which gained her an incoherent mumble - Marben began to pet him on the back, hoping he would wake up by himself and spare her the unpleasantness of shaking him and rendering him grumpy. To ruin such a sweet moment would have been a shame…

"Five…hey, Five". The boy grimaced in annoyance and turned his head to the other side, without a care at all about getting up. Marben smiled indulgently at his nape. "Come on, love, your family's gonna notice your absence at breakfast…and what about my teachers? What if one of them comes up here and finds us like this?".

"Shhhh".

"Uh? What was that?".

"I said SHHHH!" replied Five, groggily, testily, above all unaware of Marben's bulging eyes.

"**Five Hargreeves**. Dont'you dare to shush me while slumbering on me and grinding your boner on my hip!".

With a high pitched squawk Five jumped out of the bed, frantically pulling at the hem of the oversized, ratty t-shirt Marben had lent him for the night.

"I'M SORRY! Fuck…I MEAN, I HAVE ZERO CONTROL OVER IT! REALLY, I'M SORRY!" he blabbered flushing bright red; Marben looked at him just for a moment, savoring the exquisiteness of socks, disheveled hair and a shapeless t-shirt somewhat not ample enough to conceal a pair of white, tented cotton briefs. The boy was so adorable in so many ways (some more illicit than others) that she wanted to keep him all to herself and never let him step out of her dorm room again.

"Relax, babe. I know" she said smiling kindly. "And I actually am quite flattered". Five looked relieved for half a second, then started fretting all over again.

"Ok, can we…can we please stop talking about it, now?".

Marben tossed herself on the bed, laughing joyously; she gave her back to Five (who hastily took his chance to get dressed and hide his morning wood as best as he could), and thought that she wanted him to be part of her life forever. To not live even another day without him.

A warm lump of fabric hit her on the face, at some point: it was the worn t-shirt, Five's impromptu pajamas.

"Didn't cross my mind to ask you, last night, but…how comes you've got a man's t-shirt in your closet?". Looking back at the boy she found him putting on his usual, even if a bit rumpled, short-sleeved white shirt.

"It's my Dad's".

"Your dad's?".

"Yes. Since I was very little I easily get homesick, so he lent me his favorite old t-shirt to…snuggle with when I feel like hugging him, I guess". She shrugged, but her eyes were soft. Five didn't miss it, and felt strangely jealous of the faceless, nameless man who'd had the blatant luck to know Marben all her life.

"He's been…very thoughtful" he conceded, cautious; Marben's eyes lit up and she looked on the verge to say something, but then she locked gazes with him and immediately sobered up, just nodding.

"Good. If it's your dad's then it's…good". She leaned her head to the side and looked at him in a puzzled way.

"Are you jealous, babe?". Five felt ashamed of his own obviousness.

"WHAT? No". He immediately turned to the window, opening the curtains with ardor and then going straight for the handle; outside Marben's dorm, the world was still slowly awakening and pink-tinged.

"YES! You are! You thought this was some ex boyfirend's keepsake and got all territorial!".

"I'm not, I said!". With the window finally open, Five breathed a lungful of freezing mid-autumn air, which didn't make the jealousy go away, but at least helped him with the scorching sensation of his flushed cheeks. Even if it didn't last for long, because Marben threw herself at him, hugging him tightly from behind.

"Don't be" she whispered against his shoulder "Even if I like it, when you are a bit jealous, I've got eyes only for you".

"Mmmh. As it should be, with your boyfriend" he then conceded, with a false supercilious air. He turned around, and found Marben watching him with a mix of awe and shyness.

"Are…are we, then? Together" she asked, and Five almost had a heart attack.

"Of cou…wait, don't you wanna?".

"You impossible dumbass, try to ask nicely and maybe I'll see!". All the insecurity in Marben's attitude was gone, now she looked at him daringly and jokingly.

"Oh. So, you want me to ask you out before…". The girl snorted.

"Five. I love you and I want nothing more than to be your girlfriend. Last time we were about to label our relationship, however, things went spectacularly pear-shaped…so, I'll ask again, hoping this time we'll still love each other when I'll be done". With a deliberate deep breath, Marben gathered her courage. "Are we together?". Five gifted her with his most triumphant and self-assured lopsided smirk.

"Absolutely". And with a brief but searing kiss, he jumped away from her dorm.

* * *

_A/N: Thank you very much for all your attention, it warms my heart. May you have a nice weekend!_


	16. Chapter 16

"Do you remember when we first met?".

"How could I not? I thought you looked cute as hell, with those strange braids and that pink jumper".

"French braids, you lovely fool, that's how they're called".

"Got it. They made you look so sweet…and feminine. You look more like a young woman, rather than a teen, did you know that?".

"Wait, how old do you think I am?".

"Uh…aren't you my age? Thirteen years old?".

"I turned fifteen that very same day".

"…I guess I'm into old women, then".

"Oh MY GOD, you're such an idiot!".

"Probably, but not just any other one: I'm **your** idiot".

"Yeah…mine".

"So we met on your birthday?".

"Yeah".

"Mmmmh".

"What?".

"Nothing. It's just…I would have liked to celebrate it with you".

"Oh, it would have been lovely…and sadly your birthday has passed too…".

"Right, but mine has no importance whatsoever. It looses it when you have to share it with other six strangers your whole life".

"Do you even celebrate, at the Academy?".

"I think Mom would like to bake us cakes and give us presents, but probably Father doesn't give her permission to actually do so…hence no, we only get a grand - grander than usual, I mean - speech about how we've been 'blessed' with our abilities, ad therefore invested with the greatest of responsibilities…or some shit like that. And then we can resume training and studying, like any other day".

"God…it sucks!".

"It really does, yes".

"Sorry, babe, it came out badly…".

"No, you're absolutely right. It all sucks".

"Is there…at least something you like, of your life?".

"Apart from you? Not really".

"I love you, Five".

"And thank goodness for it. I…I love you too, Marben".

* * *

_A/N: …thhhhhaaaaaaaank youuuuuuuuuuuu…_


	17. Chapter 17

_Chapter Soundtrack: watch?v=P_OK_H8F2g0_

15.

Just a few mornings prior he had been shamelessly grinding onto her hip: she wasn't going to feel self-conscious about her wet hair and pink underwear - Marben told herself when she heard a familiar knock at her window. Even better, Five's gaze showed how much he appreciated her state of undress when she came to open the window for him, so no harm was done on both parts.

"Hey…did the heating broke?" asked the boy as a greeting, looking her up and down; she smirked.

"No, I was getting ready for bed".

"Don't bother with the pajamas, I'm not offended!" said Five headlong, rushing into the room and closing the window and the curtains alike. Marben watched him amused, strongly suspecting there was a vein of jealousy underneath his strange behavior.

"Hello, Dimple" she whispered against his lips when he finally was done with the window; he blew out a silent chuckle and accepted the kiss with abandon, embracing her. Only to spring backwards a moment later.

"Shit!".

"Five? What's up?" asked the girl, abashed, watching her boyfriend fumble with his black scarf and grey coat. Five looked up at her, a little red on the cheeks.

"I…I brought you something, Doll" he said in a soft voice "If I managed not to smash it right away, that's it…".

With slightly unsteady hands, Five fished a small white box out from under his coat: it looked a tad smashed, but otherwise in good conditions. The boy handed Marben the package, smiling shyly and shrugging a shoulder. Looking from the box to her love, the girl found herself devoured by curiosity, so she basically snatched it from Five's hands and opened the lid. Inside, there was a small, delicious-looking cake of raspberries and whipped cream, and with the most whimsical chocolate inscription on the top. '15 YEARS OF POLEMICS AND PESSIMISM'.

"I know it's dumb, your birthday has been weeks ago, but…I still wanted to celebrate it with you". Eyes glued to the inscription, Marben smiled incredulously.

"'Polemics and pessimism'?" she quoted looking up at him; Five smiled, looking trapped between his arrogant self and his unexpectedly large romantic side.

"I love you as you are, Princess".

"This is the most beautiful thing anyone has ever done for me. And I absolutely **adore** the inscription".

The sweet, loving smile Five gave her at that point was worth all the arguments, the sadness and the insecurities of the previous weeks; standing on her toes, Marben kissed him trying to convey all the love she was capable of through their lips, and judging from the dreamy sigh Five let himself escape, at least part of it had reached destination.

"Shall we taste this beauty, then?".

"Of course!".

Marben fetched a blanket from the bed and piled it up on the floor, in front of the window; Five, from his part, made a show of fishing a handful of plastic cutlery from his pocket - snatching his girlfriend a laugh and a joke about how he managed to hide anything inside those - and then seated himself on the pile of cloth, beside Marben.

"It's a shame I couldn't find some candles…".

"Oh, don't worry about that, baby". Leaving the box with the cake on the floor, Marben went to rummage inside a drawer and then came back with an almost untouched candle and a pack of matches.

"Cut the cake, love, would you? I'll just…".

Five threw her a sideways glance while cutting two big slices of the cake, and saw her rip a piece of the box lid to which she glued the lit candle with some liquid wax. Then she went to open the curtains and switched off the light.

"**Perfect**" she sighed, plopping down on the blanket by Five's side. "Just perfect. The most perfect birthday of my life".

"Even if it's not your birthday for real and your family's not here?" asked him with an almost sad smile, to which she answered with one full of love and happiness.

"It's always my birthday, when I'm with you". She leaned to kiss him on the lips, and suddenly Five realized she was right: everything was just perfect. Their window with a starry view partially obscured by the fire escape, the cake eaten in greedy forkfuls directly from the box, Marben's hair color by candle light - they were wavy, almost ringlets, if left to dry naturally -, the smell of molten wax and burning oxygen, their ushered conversation about everything and nothing in particular…it was all so beautiful Five felt moved, like he wanted to cry for the sheer sweetness of it's intimacy.

"I love your hair like this" he said to deflect his sudden rush of emotion, passing an errant golden lock of Marben's between his fingers. She smiled and turned swiftly to kiss his hand.

"Thanks, Five. For everything: the cake, the inscription, the company…and for starting to open up with me, too. It means a lot. I love you…I love you very much".

Five abandoned his fork in a rush, cupped Marben's sweet cheeks and dragged her in one of the most heated kisses they had ever shared, to which she gave back as much as she got.

"I love you too, Marben" he breathed on her mouth, before latching on it again. They tumbled backwards, in a lump of limbs tangling together and caressing each other - Marben's loving hands on Five's bare back, under his shirt and vest, and Five's curious ones up and down her naked legs which looked and felt like silk.

Not far away, the candle kept burning undisturbed, while a raspberry rolled dejectedly down its little whipped cream hill.

* * *

_A/N: A hundred million times THANK YOU for your kind attention and kind words or thoughts: you all are truly precious. Still, is it really possible that I'm so good at English that I don't make mistakes? Not even a little one here or there?_


	18. Chapter 18

_Chapter Soundtrack: watch?v=bT6igmoy2dM_

16.

One day something went horribly wrong, and all the city heard of it well before the authorities could call on the press: a fire had flared up inside a factory, trapping a bunch of workers and leaving them without a chance of getting any help from firefighters or paramedics. That day, everyone had been glued in front of the televisions, spasmodically trying to detect something new about a loved one in peril or just to satisfy the morbid curiosity of knowing if there had already been victims; even at Marben's school, lessons had been suspended to let the students join the teachers, who had tuned the school's few TVs and radios on the news to follow the vicissitude, but she had refused to sit and listen. Knowing some poor men were slowly dying already made her restless, but the idea that the Umbrella Kids were trapped there too, was driving her crazy.

Marben didn't need to be told what was happening inside the factory, while the flames kept burning without making themselves known on the outside; the forensics studies her Dad had pursued all his life had given her quite an accurate knowledge of what reinforcements should have expected to find upon entering the burnt building. Her vivid imagination was making the rest.

Resigned to the inevitability of the tragedy and to the idea of knowing nothing of Five for who knew how much longer, Marben started to hope he at least wasn't seriously injured so fervently that she felt like she was praying; in a moment of estrangement, she told herself that probably praying a god for help would have been very similar to what she was doing, but quickly dismissed the thought, uninterested. All that counted, right then, was to ascertain that Five was alive and…well. As well as he could ever be after such a mission, at least.

Reginald Hargreeves had made his appearance at some point in the early evening, when Marben had happened to be around a TV: declaring with a stern air that the workers had perished, the billionaire had also assured the audience his Kids had fought valiantly, and albeit having done everything they were superhumanly capable of to ensure the victims' rescue, they could not had avoided their deaths anyway, having them as a matter of fact been severely compromised by the mission as well. Hadn't been for the unbearable pang of concern that caught her at the man's words, Marben would have deemed his expression of worry absolutely fake. Reginald Hargreeves wasn't the phylantropist people liked to think he was, she was certain that the horrible death of seven unlucky workers didn't even have registered in that cold brain of his, but the failure of his children to be fed to the press for everyone to see, that was something the heartless man would never forget. And forgive.

Suddenly disgusted by the light supper she had acquiesced to get herself served, Marben made her excuses pleading to feel too upset about the bad news and left the mess. It wasn't a complete lie, but right then she had thoughts only for Five: all she managed to think was how to reach him, for everything was superfluous if she couldn't see with her own eyes he was okay…and until that moment she hadn't been willing to consider the idea that maybe Five could have not made it back to the Academy at all. Not once in the entire day. But now, Marben's tired and worried mind had started, despite itself, to think that after all Sir Hargreeves had said about his Kids having been 'compromised' by the mission…and considering how deadly and unpredictable a raging fire was…

"Nonsense. Had Five died, I would know by now".

With a lump in her throat, Marben forcefully pushed open the door to her dorm and began frantically searching for her coat and scarf. However, she was halfway in the process of putting them on when a familiar crackle and a blue gleam forced her to drop everything on the floor.

"Five…oh my god, Five!" she whined throwing herself at the boy, hands flying everywhere from his face to his arms and chest, looking for wounds; Five let her do as she pleased, looking too exhausted and shaken to stop her, or maybe understanding her dire need to feel him alive. His clothes were torn and scorched, he was covered in soot, with parched lips and a blood-crusted gash on the forehead; his hands and knees were burnt and in some places blistered too, but apart from that and a suffocating smell of smoke Marben didn't detect anything worse.

"Wait…I'll get you some water…" the girl made to stand up but Five held her back with unexpected strength: looking down at him, she saw the most haunted look he had ever exhibited in her presence, and a brow so furrowed that looked like it was going to fall down from his skull. And indeed, next thing she knew Five's brow had curled up on itself and he was forcefully squeezing his eyes shut. He wasn't shedding tears, but Marben suspected he was crying all the same. Inside.

"Oh, my love…" she murmured, kneeling by his side again. With the utmost care she enveloped him in an embrace, minding not to press on anything that could have caused him pain, and surprisingly, he leaned against her chest, making himself small. He still wasn't crying overtly, as opposed to Marben who started to feel her eyes prickle, anguished by seeing him reduced to a terrified, traumatized child. Yet, Five needed her to be strong, to cling on her like on a reef…so she held him tightly, caressing his back and nape gently, rocking him slightly. And eventually, he opened up to her, like he had promised to always do.

"We…we couldn't do anything" he whispered hoarsely, in a voice cracked by smoke and guilt that made Marben tremble. "Some of them were already…one got incinerated at the flames' burst, and a few others were on the floor, ablaze…writhing and screaming while their coworkers implored us in wheezes to help them…". By this point, Marben couldn't have had stopped the stream of tears that was flowing from her eyes, not even wanting to. She held on her boyfriend a little tighter, and didn't interrupt him.

"We couldn't tell them that those poor guys were already gone, and so were they, so…".

"So?" blowed Marben. Five gulped and then sighed.

"So Allison did her trick: she told them they were in a deep, dreamless sleep…and at least they went peacefully".

Marben felt raw pain burst inside her chest, and then propagate to the rest of her: she curled on herself in horror, but kept her mouth shut. Five, instead, found the way to grip her back with all the force he still retained, and finally, **finally** let himself crack down in tears.

* * *

_A/N: Inspired by a real, tragic and unjustifiable occurrence of death on the job._


	19. Chapter 19

_Chapter Soundtrack: _ watch?v=vGxrFWBQoQ0

17.

"I've got to take you to the hospital, love: you're in need of care".

"No…no, no hospital. We never go to the hospital".

"And how do you do when you get hurt?".

"Mom".

"Alright…I'll take you to Mom, then".

"Don't wanna".

"I know…but I'm not equipped nor competent enough to tend to your injuries. Besides, your family will be wondering where you are, and worrying…".

Five had tried to resist with some other feebly muttered protest, but Marben had been irremovable.

"Please, Five. Let me get you help".

And so Marben had walked him back to the Academy. Late at night, without a coat, getting her uniform stained with blood and soot, physically keeping her boyfriend upright for his injuries were making him limp heavily, and exhaustion was starting to take its toll on him.

Luck must had been on their side, in spite of everything, since Klaus saw them from a window and opened the door to let them sneak in; Marben had never stepped inside the (in)famous Umbrella Academy before, but then and there the vast mansion didn't arouse the least interest in her. Five was the priority, making him feel better was her urgency, everything else didn't count.

"This way" Klaus said, leading them to a room in which a blonde lady impeccably dressed in elegant retro clothing was neatly rearranging medical equipment while humming softly, despite being surrounded by blood and gore.

"Please, Madam!" Marben called for her with more distress than she had intended to let transpire, "Don't put anything away, Five needs help!". In that moment, several things happened at the same time: Klaus shushed them noisily and then dragged himself to quickly close the door, while the woman turned abruptly toward Marben, showing a delicate, beautiful face completely devoid of expression. When her blue eyes landed on Five, instead, her features immediately transfigured in a mask of concern.

"Five, dear. I'm so disappointed in you, young man!" she scolded, reaching out with a delicate hand and practically hauling him from Marben's grasp like he weighted nothing; Marben fought for a moment between the impulse to reach for Five and prevent the lady from manhandling him like if he were a rag doll (maybe even reprimanding her for her lack of bedside manner), and the fear she was going to see Five get mortified about the failed mission at the factory. Hopeless, she frantically looked for Klaus and found him slouched over an armchair, stretching out a splinted leg and pressing dry ice on his brow: he did detected something in her eyes, and found the force to shake his head.

"Mom, please, be gentle with Five: his pretty girlfriend, here, is worried sick you'll traumatize him for life!".

"Ugh, screw you, Klaus! And don't look at my girlfriend, face the other way!" grunted Five from the strange armchair he had been laid on (it looked halfway between an old-fashioned dentist's chair and a hospital bed); the woman gave him an eloquent look, pointedly ignoring Klaus.

"Sorry, Mother" uttered Five, still pained, and Marben's heart cracked a bit.

"Now, there's no need to be vulgar" said the woman - **Mom** \- in a firm yet gentle tone, snapping a pair of latex gloves on her perfect hands. "I was simply going to express my disappointment and deepest worry for not finding you amongst your siblings to get medicated. You know how much I get upset, Five dear". She gently peeled some fabric from a burn, causing Five to hiss and Marben to internally scream, and then assessed the worst wounds on the boy's hands and legs.

"I'm not going to lie, my dear: your Father is getting very annoyed by your coming and going unsupervised" Mom said, giving Marben a brief side glance. Five tightened his jaw, his eyes reduced to two exhausted, furious slits.

"He was the one who told me to train in spacial jumping. As long as I do it, is none of his business when I do it or where I land". Marben couldn't help herself to feel guilty hearing how much trouble her presence in Five's life was causing him: she searched for his eyes and tried to say sorry with all the force of her glance, to which Five answered with a light shake of his head and the most cocky grin he managed in his pained, tired state. "And anyway we all sneak out. If it's not a problem when the others do it, I don't see why it should be when it's my turn".

Oblivious to all of this, Mom sighed a puff of air that didn't inflate either her chest nor her cheeks; picking up a pair of big scissors from a tray, she then started to cut Five's uniform off to assess the real extent of his wounds; despite herself, Marben gasped, flushing bright red and lowering her gaze.

"Oooooookay, I think it's closing time, little princess!" guffawed Klaus, hauling himself up from the chair and motioning for Marben to follow him.

"HEY, DON'T CALL HER PRINCESS, YOU SHITHEAD!" bellowed an already half naked Five from his bedrest.

"Five, what do we just said about being vulgar?" Mom retorted readily. Everything else, though, was cut off by Klaus' hand gently cupping Marben's elbow and leading her willy-nilly toward the door.

"Seriously, Marben, it's better if you leave now. I know you're worried for your beau but **trust me**, you don't want our Father to know you're here. And you've already caused quite the commotion". He then looked to his side from under the bag of dry ice, causing Marben to follow his gaze: peeking in from the hallway, there was a girl with a chestnut fringe and dressed in a pajama that looked stolen from an old man's closet. She had clearly just risen from bed, so Klaus had to be right. It was time to go.

Turning to Five she found him already looking at her, with a reassuring hint of a smile and warm, tired eyes: too anguished to speak, Marben mouthed an 'I love you' and the boy's smile sweetened. 'Me too' he mouthed back, and then laid down his head, making himself obedient to Mom's medical fervor.

"Come, Marben. There will be Vanya with him, don't worry". Marben nodded to the girl with the fringe - Vanya, apparently - and quickly left the room. Klaus made to follow her down the dark corridor, but his leg was giving him hell and he stayed behind a bit.

"Wait, are you gonna walk home all alone in the middle of the night?" he called after Marben, who suddenly had all the hurry in the world to go - otherwise she would have never found the force to leave Five's side. The girl threw him a glance over her shoulder, without stopping.

"Don't worry, I know my way. And besides I'll be with Fulvius, the redhead boy you saw with me a few weeks ago". Klaus stopped abruptly.

"You…you're seriously gonna make **that child escort you home by night**?".

"Yeah, and I'll be fine. Fulv is a lot more though than he looks...and the School is just a few streets away". Surprisingly, Marben stopped for a moment too and turned halfway to look at the strange boy.

"Thanks, Klaus. Take care of yourself…smoke some weed before you lay down, if you have it, it'll help with the pain and…all the other stuff".

Without another world, Marben resumed her brisk walking across the darkened halls of the Umbrella Academy, oblivious of a stern, cold and blue pair of eyes that followed her from above until she had closed the front door after herself with a soft click.

* * *

_A/N: Poor Five. And poor Klaus. Poor Marben too. Poor everyone! Lots of love for Mom, though: she's awesome!_


	20. Chapter 20

18.

A few days later, during a rehearsal for the entire advanced class, the strangest - and most disgusting, in Marben's personal opinion - possible thing happened: Sir Reginald Hargreeves entered the School's Theatre self-confidently and took a seat in the stalls. He didn't say or do anything, yet Mister Kai, the Conductor, faltered in his movements resulting in the entire orchestra to lose its focus. Turning to his unexpected guest, Mister Kai nodded profoundly in greeting; Sir Hargreeves nodded back with far less deference and then lifted his chin imperiously as if to say he was ready to be entertained. Marben exchanged a furtive look with her cousin and their friends. They couldn't utter a world in the surreal silence of the Theatre, but their glances spoke volumes.

As Mister Kai found his focus again, however, the girls had to follow the lead and get back to their studies.

"From measure number 37" said Mister Kai, and the Theatre was instantly filled with the swish of music sheets being turned to find the right staff; after that, a moment of silence and then the _Allegro_ started anew, so flawlessly played that the kind, poetic Mister Kai lost himself in it afresh, as if nothing had interrupted it the first time around. On her part, instead, Marben couldn't dispel the presentiment that the spiteful Hargreeves was there to detect what (or who) in the School had caught the attention of his most rebellious son. At first the thought gave her some anxiety (what if the horrid man had already set his small eyes on her? And what if he wanted to punish her for having proven to be distracting Five from his trainings?), but then, at the end of the second movement she forcefully shrugged off the nonsense and told herself Reginald Hargreeves knew **absolutely nothing**. He didn't know her and even if he did Marben had nothing to hide: being someone's girlfriend wasn't a crime, not even if said someone was one of Sir Reginald Hargreeves' kids. And sure as hell, she wasn't going to give up on Five anyway.

Toward the _Allegro'_s end, Headmaster Pembroke burst into the Theatre with the air of one who is always the last to be informed about important things: he made a beeline for Hargreeves, ungracefully crossing the whole Theatre until he reached him, and then proceeded to obsequiously greet him in such a noisy way the orchestra was forced to stop its rehearsal for the second time in a row. Mister Kai looked dispirited, and lowering her bow Marben felt bad for him: she knew he lived for music and considered a real injustice to see it diminished like some sort of mere embellishment.

"…assure you, Sir Hargreeves, had I known you were about to visit I would have arranged for something grander…".

"There was no need at all to stage something different, Mister Pembroke" Hargreeves authoritatively interrupted the blathering Headmaster, snapping closed what looked like a journal with an elaborate, shiny hardcover. Had he been reading all along their performance? Marben hadn't noticed…

"What I just heard had been an exemplary execution, and I intend to offer my compliments to this young and remarkable orchestra".

The girls seated on the stage were so dumbfounded that, with a quick exchange of glances, the applause started from Marben, Myery and their friends, and luckily all the other teens readily followed. Sir Hargreeves looked moderately pleased at that, so even Headmaster Pembroke joined his students in their cheering.

"However" said the billionaire unexpectedly overhanging the noise without shouting, "I'm not here to simply offer congratulations and exchange pleasantries. I came here with the precise intention to involve this School and its prestigious orchestra into the organization of a benefit concert". Suddenly, the sepulchral silence which had fallen as soon as he had taken word turned into an indistinct buzz.

"A…a benefit concert, Sir?" stuttered the Headmaster, not following. That earned him a look of superiority from his guest.

"Exactly, Mister Pembroke, a charity event to raise funds to be donated to the families of the unfortunate victims of the fire occurred a few days ago. If you'll be so generous to offer this Theatre and such an outstanding musical entertainment, I shall be able to provide the right sort of audience". Headmaster Pembroke's confused expression swiftly changed in one of absolute excitement at the prospect of his School gaining all the prestige and fame such an event could bring.

"Disgusting" whispered Marben, noting neither of the two men appeared to be thinking about the tragedy behind their resonant project.

"Spine-chilling" agreed Myery, knowing what her cousin was thinking without even looking her way.

"Yeah. Those two should have been thrown in a dumpster the day they were born. Closed tight in a plastic bag". Lear had never been one for mincing words, having been called like a Shakespearean King - thing she insisted had infused her with just the right amount of drama. In other circumstances her truculent worlds may have snatched disapproving looks from her friends, but not today, in front of the bleak little show of two powerful men shaking hands at the prospect of making money on the deaths of others.

"Indeed" hissed Marben, her eyes two pools of boiling rage fixed on Hargreeves' face. "If I get chosen as Leader I'm not shaking his hand. He can merrily go shake the devil's, for what I care of him and his influential friends!".

"Oh, my" sighed Myery, rolling her eyes "It's gonna be entertaining".

"I knew you would die to see me refuse to shake Mister Arsegreeves' hand in front of an entire Theatre!".

"I'll bring the popcorns!" chirped Diana, enthusiastically.

Despite everything and everyone, the four girls found themselves sharing a soft and complicit laugh.

* * *

_A/N: I don't wish to bore anyone or be redundant, but wherever you're from, whatever your occupation or social status may be, even if your family is young and healthy or above all if you live in close contact with elderly people or small children, PLEASE STAY SAFE. Prudence is never too much. I'm telling you from the red zone. _

_I hope you're fine._

_Love, Stieglitzz_


	21. Chapter 21

19.

"He must be plotting something" growled Five through clenched teeth.

"Yes, love, you've been saying it nonstop for the last half an hour" soothed Marben, kissing a stripe of freshly-healed skin while struggling with a difficult folding of the bandage: Five hadn't been able to spacial jump from the Academy to the School, do to his still fresh injuries, so he had come all the way by foot and climbed the fire escape up to the right window. Marben had been livid with the fear of watching him pass out from exertion when he had peeked between the curtains, but it had passed very quickly, for in a second her boyfriend was all over her, kissing and hugging, caressing and saying he'd missed her. She'd been half drunk of love for a bit then, but soon the loosened and soiled gauzes around Five's hands and knees had forced her to regain her wits and to go into full nurse mode.

"Because my Father never does anything without a hidden agenda!".

"He is bizarre. Today he read throughout our rehearsal…that is, I don't know if he read, but he had with him what looked like a leather bound book and he didn't seem to pay attention to the music".

"It must have been that fucking journal on which he writes down every single barbarism he intends to subject us in order to teach us how to dominate our powers…". Marben demurely lowered her eyes, resuming to bandage.

"Maybe it's nothing…".

"You don't know him as well as I do. Trust me, that old bastard is hiding something…I just can't understand exactly **what** it could be!". Throwing his arms up in frustration, Five made the roll of gauze slip from Marben's fingers and so the freshly applied bandage went completely undone, flying across the room with a flutter; turning to look at his girlfriend with sheer terror in his eyes, he found her already looking crossly at him.

"I…I'm sorry. Please don't beat me up, I'm wounded and soft".

"You surely are mentally impaired" she rebuked in a stern tone. "On the other hand, at least you're handsome".

"Hey, are you…finally agreeing with me about my good looks?" asked Five with a little smug grin.

"I'm saying that if you don't stay still and let me finish your dressings, I'm gonna pinch your nipples very very hard and make you cry". Five caught himself ogling Marben's bum while she crawled in search of the flying gauze; once he realized what she'd just said, though, he whined covering his endangered nipples.

"Your burns look a lot better, anyway. I really am glad" said the girl when she came back, gently prying one of his boyfriend's hands from his chest to inspect the wounds on it. When she deemed them promising, she placed a kiss on the healing skin, making Five blush and feel all warm inside.

"Then why you keep dressing and undressing them?".

"Because they need to stay clean and uncontaminated during the day, and left uncovered at night".

"So what we're currently doing is useless, since it's night". Marben sighed heavily, letting her head hang from her shoulders and the retrieved gauze roll fall from her hand.

"Five, there's not a single chance in hell that I'm gonna let you walk back home with all those wounds undressed".

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that: I'll be staying here with my favorite nurse, tonight!". At the smug smirk on the boy's face, Marben's eyes went wide.

"WHAT? Five, it simply can't be done! You'll be needing sterile bedding and no contact with me whatsoever - which at least is feasible, I could aways sleep on the floor…".

"No, it would not be feasible AT. ALL!" forcefully complained Five. Marben immediately stopped blathering about medical strictness and looked at him, speechless.

"Look, Princess…I'm fine, ok?". The boy held up his arms displaying his naked torso and legs, all blemished here and there by fire and scratches, but looking well on their way to healing. "There's no need to get all flustered about me".

"But…I want you to be alright again. Like…yesterday" Marben said, in such an innocent voice that Five gave her one of his rare warm and tender smiles.

"I'll be. All I need, right now, is to huddle for an entire night with my love, because I've missed her so badly and being trapped in that blasted Academy for a week without her company has been a nightmare".

Marben's eyes became soft and a bit sad, hearing what the last week had been for Five; it had been nightmarish for her, too. So she resigned to fish her emergency set of clean bedsheets from a cupboard and start making the bed anew.

"At least we'll have the cleanest sheets possible" she mumbled, struggling with a hospital corner; Five huffed a laugh under his breath, sprung up from the floor and kissed her soundly on a cheek, before grabbing a side of the sheet too. As soon as the bed was made, Five jumped on it like a child. Marben retrieved his vest from the back of a chair and tossed it at his face.

"Put it on, you rascal, or all that new skin will get chafed during the night". Five begrudgingly complied, muttering something about not being a rascal.

Suddenly the lights went off. The boy looked instinctively around himself, but obviously saw nothing. Then, the soft swish of fabric sliding against skin to heap on the floor after a moment of silence told him everything he needed to know: Marben was undressing in the same room as him, probably naked and so near he could touch her warm skin, right now, and he COULDN'T. SEE. A DAMN. THING!

"Ok, I've got to tell you something" Five said abruptly, voice cracking for the emotion - FUCKING PUBERTY!

"I know, I know, you'll have a boner in the morning" chirped Marben, jovially. "I told you, Sweet Cheeks, it's fine…".

"**I'll get one right now if you don't put on your fucking pajamas and come to bed this fucking moment!**".

Marben bursted into a lovely, joyous fit of laughs and in barely a bunch of seconds was under the covers, plastering herself to Five's chest, enveloping him in her pajamas-clad arms and holding for dear life. He held her tightly back, finally able to reacquaint with her soft body and dear scent after so many days of distance.

"God, how I missed you…".

"You tell me. I didn't even get to know how you were faring! I've been so worried, Five…".

"Don't be. I'm indestructible, see?".

"Indestructible, yes…and already half hard. You really are in good, strong health!". Five sputtered, and Marben couldn't stop her giggles, not even when she leaned up to shut him with a kiss.


	22. Chapter 22

"Whatever is your father scheming…I have some news".

"Tell me, then".

"I'll be Leader, at the concert. It means I'll be of reference for the whole orchestra to interpret the Conductor".

"First Chair, you mean then".

"…I don't know, is that how you yankees call it, these days?".

"Har har har, **yes**, the yankees call it First Chair!".

"Very well, at the concert I'll be First Chair, then. Now I speak like a native!".

"Whoa…sounds like you really are getting somewhere, honey! I mean, it's a huge goal, isn't it?".

"Yes…yes, it is".

"And are you happy about it?".

"Very much. Just a little nervous, though".

"I'm so proud of you…so very proud".

"Thanks, Five, it means a lot to me".

"Will your parents be there?".

"No. They're going to visit someone I don't wish to see, that evening. So nobody from my family will come to the concert".

"…you'll have me, honey. I'll be there for you only".

"Thank goodness I've got you. Anyway, being First Chair also means being the one that gets to shake hands with the Conductor and…who sets up the evening".

"Shit, that'll be that dick of my Father!".

"I'm seriously considering the idea of punching him in the face, instead of shaking his fucking hand, maybe you should worry about hi**s** safety…".

"Ooooh, I would give a hand to see that happen!".

"Rest assured you wouldn't be the only one, join the queue. Now stop being an idiot, this time I've got a serious question to ask".

"Oh…ok, shoot".

"How are you?".

"…you're not talking about my scratches, I'm coming to understand…".

"No, I'm not. Please be serious, love".

"I'm…coping. I guess. Working it out. Some days the guilt is the worst, other days, instead, it's like sadness, anger and unfairness won't let me breathe…and…it's so fucking ironic, but I feel completely **powerless**!".

"It must be horrible…".

"Yes. But what bugs me above all it's that that piece of shit of my Father it's gonna use what happened to get us even more famous!".

"It really is despicable, of him. But at the same time wouldn't it be a good thing, if people started seeing you just like the kids you are?".

"We'll never be 'just' kids, Marben".

"Alright, that you're not infallible, then. People think you're above everything...but you're not! You guys are human beings who were born with some abilities outside the norm, but apart from that you are flawed like everyone else!".

"Your point being?".

"People have to understand you can fail. Or get scared, sad, angry, demotivated or disappointed. Because **you're human** like them".

"Those men would still be alive, if we hadn't failed".

"No. No, Five, they would have died anyway, and you know it well enough to stop blaming yourself for what had been inevitable. Cut the crap".

"Mphf. Easier said than done, when you didn't see it happen".

"I'm not scolding you, sweetie, believe me. I only have your best interest at heart, and I'm asking you to stop wondering about what could have been gone differently. It's…poisonous thinking, and you'll never get rid of it, if you don't convince yourself that what happened was ugly and unfair, yes, but. Not. Your. Fault".

"Why do you speak of it like…like you knew how it feels? Did you watch someone die?".

"I…no. No, I didn't. But it kills me to see you haunted by it, so…I guess it's probably the same".

"…if you say so. Can we not talk about it anymore, please?".

"Of course, my dear. Just…promise you'll try to let it go?".

"I promise".

"Thanks".

"Thank **you**, Peaches. I love you".

"**PEACHES**?".

"Yup. Don't think I forgot about 'Sweet Cheeks'!".

* * *

A/N: Hello everyone! How are you faring? I hope you are well and that nothing bad will happen, neither to you nor to your loved ones. As we're lately getting used to tell each other, here in Italy, it's gonna be alright. Stay strong! :)


	23. Chapter 23

_Chapter Soundtrack: watch?v=aS0fGS6D_JI_

20.

"It hurts so bad, baby: won't you kiss it better?" murmured Five with a mischievous grin, reaching out with his bandaged hand; Marben smiled at him softly and kissed the gauze, making his eyes go instantly warm and tender; it had been meant as a joke, she knew, but during the convalescence Five had grown a soft spot for this sweet game, so she had taken to indulge him every time.

Sadly, as soon as the sweet moment had come it went away: sobering up, Five retreated his hand and climbed over the windowsill, revealing his timid sister with the fringe in his wake.

"Marben, uh…this is…".

"Your sister Vanya" Marben filled in, looking fixedly at the girl; for a moment, she got annoyed beyond everything for getting deprived of her few, most cherished moments alone with her boyfriend, but then a more rational part of her mind coaxed her into being the well mannered and hospitable girl her parents had raised her to be. So she extended a hand for the newcomer and prepared herself to be at least grateful for the comfort Vanya had undoubtedly offered Five while she had been forced to stay away from the Academy.

"We've never been properly introduced, I'm afraid: my name's Marben, and I'm delighted to make your acquaintance. Hello" she said, helping the girl overstep the window frame and shaking her hand; Vanya was surprisingly carrying a case strapped to her back, and Marben recalled saying something about teaching her the basics of violin technique, quite some time ago.

"Hi! Yes, I'm Vanya, nice to meet you too" said the girl in a quiet but enthusiastic voice. "Five told me you could teach me how to take my first steps with the violin…if that's okay with you, of course!". Vanya exuded low self-esteem and insecurity. Marben was fairly certain she wouldn't be a difficult student, as long as she showed some discipline and dedication.

"It'll be my pleasure" she said then, with a warm yet sibylline smile. "So, why don't you show me your instrument? This is your father's violin, I presume".

"Oh, yes! I finally convinced Dad to let me borrow it!".

Five took the chair from the desk and placed it near the window, sitting down where he wouldn't be in the way: his Father's violin was a beautiful instrument, polished and as refined as only great musician's instruments usually looked like. Marben handled it with a grace and a naturalness he doubted Vanya would be able to replicate, but she yet had to start her first lesson, so it was perfectly understandable. A first pinch to the strings and Marben's dear face transfigured into a moue.

"Completely out of tune, I'm afraid" she laughed softly, and Vanya giggled nervously, even if she probably didn't have a clue on what they were talking about. Marben then proceeded to slowly tune the violin, explaining the process step by step to Vanya, who looked rapt. The blonde girl told her tuning was basically the bread and butter of a violinist, and although it may look difficult, with time it would grow to become a second nature to her.

Watching Marben and Vanya interact was the real reason of interest of the lesson, Five deemed, with all the due respect to the art of music: Marben's innate elegance and charm were in sharp contrast with Vanya's childish demureness, her round features and perennially lowered eyes. His sister wasn't neither bad looking nor expressionless, Five thought, and he knew for a fact that she possessed quite a sharp mind, but she was too insecure, shy and clumsy to really show her true colors. Despite her being a pubescent girl already, Vanya Hargreeves still looked like a child, and it became even more evident when Marben helped her lay Sir Hargreeves' violin on her left shoulder, encouraging her to balance it with her chin: Vanya erupted in a cascade of such elated giggles that the instrument started bobbing up and down dramatically. Both Marben and Five made to grab the neck of the violin - obviously, it was Marben who caught it, even if Five had space-jumped to his sister's side - and Vanya abruptly stopped giggling.

"I'm sorry!' she said, still broadly smiling 'I'm sorry, it's just…I can't believe I'm finally gonna play the violin!". Five scoffed fondly at this, earning himself a glare from his sister and a mildly scolding glance from his girlfriend, to which he lifted his hands as a sign of surrender.

"Don't be a jerk, Five!".

"WHA…".

"Oh, don't mind him, Vanya, he didn't intend to be mean. Just his usual old-inside and sarcastic self". Marben winked at him over her shoulder and he couldn't help to show her his teeth in a mock growl. She snickered and turned her back to him. For the rest of the lesson, Five's focus traveled raptly from the curve of Marben's neck to how her graceful hands adjusted the stance of Vanya's shoulders and back, later going to the shift her head made when she needed her hair to move away and then dwelling on the pull and twist of muscle and sinew around the neck of the violin to show Vanya the exact position she would need to aim for while practicing. It was a difficult position, Five could feel his arm hurt just by the sight of it, but Marben made it look natural and sophisticated.

It hit him right then and there, what was of Marben that had him hooked from the very start of their acquaintance: her dainty appearance (a mix of innocence, spontaneity and gentleness) which concealed in itself strength, kindness, determination, warmth, fierceness, talent, a bright intelligence, and all of this under the most astounding humility Five had ever seen into a human being. She looked delicate and pure like a beautiful flower, but could make a fool of you with a single glance, make you fall in love with the shift of her blond hair from a shoulder to the other and strike you without even touching, just with just the right word. Marben was born a woman, she was the master of her powerful self. And until then, Five had fooled himself thinking of having found and kept her, while instead, he had got chosen and didn't want to be let go.

* * *

_A/N: I decided a little sweetness was in order, since we're having such a difficult time. We deserve it! And so does our dear Five._

_How are you? Be careful!_  
_As always, thank you for the attention you're paying to me and this story. Until next time!_


	24. Chapter 24 (I)

Chapter Soundtrack: watch?v=mAY9jV_uNGg

* * *

21 (I).

"I'VE GOT A SURPRISE FOR YOU!", "LET'S GO OUT TONIGHT!" both teens spoke at the same time as soon as Marben had opened the window and come face to face with her boyfriend; then they realized it and exchanged a confused look.

"Me first" said Five with a grin. "Let's go out tonight! Come with me" he said, holding out a hand.

"What? I can't, I'm…".

"In a skimpy camisole, pink knickers and nothing else, which is **absolutely** my favorite attire on you, so far…".

"Hey you, stop looking at me like that".

"Like what?" murmured the boy, shamelessly eyeing her up.

"Like you're trying to see through my clothes".

"Mmmh, **that** sure as hell would be a useful power…". Five took her gently by a wrist and lifted it. "Would you turn around for me, bab…".

"Five, **don't piss me off**!" snapped Marben, snatching her hand back and stomping a foot on the floor. Her boyfriend erupted in a loud fit of laughter, lifting his hands in surrender.

"Sorry Doll, I couldn't resist!".

"Yeah, you always find it so amusing when I'm annoyed" Marben replied crossly, glowering at him; Five's smile then sweetened, and his tone and eyes became soft.

"You certainly look adorable when annoyed…but that's not what I cannot resist to. It's your…uh, body".

Marben's face slackened by sudden in an incredulous expression: a flustered Five wasn't what she had been expecting, but she still recognized it for the rare, precious and lovely thing that it was. So she stood up on her toes, caressed gently his red face and murmured "I can't resist yours too, gorgeous", before giving him a lingering kiss that took their breath away. It didn't last, though, for Five broke it quite soon - even if reluctantly.

"Come on, love, put on the first thing you find and let's go!".

"Where are you taking me?". Five snickered impatiently.

"Not far…to some place I care little about, but that I know you want to see. Go change, now, I'll be waiting on the fire escape". And just like that, he closed the window after himself and went hiding in the dark. Marben shook her head fondly; she threw on some comfy jeans, a black crop top, a pair of red Chucks and her father's oversized checked flannel shirt - hoping it would be enough against the chill of the autumn night - then turned the light off and climbed out of the window. Five was still there, as promised, arms crossed over his chest and back against the brick wall, staring up at the stars. When he turned, he looked at her like he was seeing her for the first time.

"Ready" she said with a small shrug and an excited smile. He came over, eyes boring into her own, wrapped an arm around her waist and without breaking the eye-contact, he jumped.

With a yelp from Marben and a snicker from Five, they landed somewhere warm and dry, nice smelling and softly lit: it took the blonde girl just a glance to get an idea of where they were.

"You…took me to your house?". The boy shrugged.

"I thought showing you my day-to-day reality would have answered many of your questions…and so, here we are. Welcome to the wolf's lair!". Marben gave him a bewildered smile. "Wait me here for a minute, 'k? I'll just go check if the old man's already gone and I'll be right back". With a kiss on her cheek, Five dissolved in a flash of blue.

At that point, Marben didn't know what to do with herself: the mere mention of Sir Hargreeves had made her suddenly uneasy, and she certainly was not used to big mansions or servitude. Who knew what else she had yet to see in there, mechanical maid excluded!

She was wavering on the verge of a panic attack when the sound of heavy and hurried steps forced her to forget for a moment all her insecurities: someone was cussing its way down a corridor, rapidly approaching. Marben didn't have to wait long to see that it was a boy with dark, well combed hair who she immediately recognized like Number Two, or Diego. When he saw her too, he stared back with a mix of distrust and familiarity, like he didn't know if they've ever met or she just looked familiar for some reason. What she saw, instead, was so much anger she almost feared she would get scorched by his gaze alone.

"Hey. What's up?" said the girl somehow finding the guts to approach a stranger that looked like a wounded rabid dog. Diego scrunched up his nose, but otherwise didn't show other signs of hostility.

"My-my father's a d-d-dick" he stuttered, and Marben could see it was making him even more furious. "I ha-te my b-bro-ther an-d m-m-my life su-uh-ks".

"Why don't you become a rapper? It would be a good way to release all that hate bottled up inside…". Instantly, all of Diego's rage was gone, leaving only incredulity in its wake.

"I stuh-tter".

"Rappers pretend to do that, sometimes!" laughed Marben "They even make a lot of ugly sounds and fill their songs with gibberish, raspberries or belches when they feel like being satyrical!". Diego started to look mildly puzzled (and maybe a bit discomfited too), at this point; Marben caught him fidgeting with one of his daggers and seized even that last opportunity to prove her point.

"You even have the air of the boy who grew up on the streets! Throwing knives, fighting your battles…a bit scarred…" she gave him a conspiratorial smile. "You should just…leave short-sleeved shirts and school uniform vests behind, they…don't look the part at all, I'm afraid". Diego furrowed his brow for a moment, but then leaned forward and started laughing so hard he had to grab his belly. Marben chuckled too, a bit at the mental image of a big, bad rapper in a white shirt and checked vest, but above all at the vision of Diego, who had barged in furious and now was wiping tears of mirth from his eyes.

"What is it, Diego?". With his usual frizzing crackle and blue gleam, Five was back. "Is Luther going to jail for something you did?".

"F-Fu-ck you" snickered Diego, starting to laugh all over again; Five turned his gaze on Marben and lifted an eyebrow, but his girlfriend just shrugged with a smile.

"Whatever. Let's go, babe". Clinging to her waist, Five left Marben only the time to send a quick wink to Diego - to which he waved back, still laughing - and then jumped.

In the kitchen, Marben felt the need to sit for a moment, so she grabbed the nearest chair and practically fell on it.

"Hey, are you okay?" asked Five, immediately crouching to her side; feeling slightly better, she nodded.

"Yes. Sorry, honey, apparently space jumping upsets me a little". Five gave her a guilty smile and made to say something, but Marben stroked his cheek, shaking her head. "Really, Five. I'm fine, don't worry".

"Oh! Would you two dearies like something to eat?" chirped Mom from the door, out of the blue; both the teens jumped, turning to look at her radiant smile.

"Damn!" murmured Five; Mom didn't miss it and shot him a reproachful look.

"Yes, yes, language. Sorry Mother!". From a door on the other side of the vast room, Klaus stormed in like a fury, went to rummage through a cupboard - the cooking pots one, judging by the racket - and when he found what he came looking for, turned and marched out without saying a single word to anyone. Just a few seconds later, from the outside came the sounds of tin lids slammed together and bloodcurdling shouts.

"Five, dear, would you please take your brother back in?" asked Mom looking fixedly at the backdoor, while Marben wondered how a machine could look exasperated. Her boyfriend, on his part, snorted and went after his brother.

"And we even watched him arrange whatever he's doing without saying anything!".

The door slammed after Five and Marben chuckled a bit, shuffling nervously on the chair: she could hear Mom's clicking heels approach, and she hadn't the slightest idea on how to react or what to say. The idea alone of being near to Momma-Bot made her feel on the edge. Luckily she didn't have to do anything, for a plate of cookies was gently offered to her. Looking up at the machine-maid, she found Mom smiling kindly at her, with her striking features lit with something akin to human emotion.

"Spacial jumping can be troublesome, the first couple of times" she said, hinting to the plate. "Have a sweet, dear, it'll settle your upset stomach. They're ginger flavored".

"Like…the ones for gravid, nauseated women?" asked Marben, timidly and a little amused, despite herself. Surprisingly, Mom bursted in the most delightful and musical fit of laughter Marben had ever heard.

"I guess so" confessed Mom when the bout of hilarity had passed; sharing a a comradely smile with her, Marben took a cookie and bit into it. It was good, and as she ate it she could actually feel her stomach settle a bit.

"It really works! Thanks, Mom" she said, thinking about how strange and yet pleasant the world felt on her tongue. Suddenly Mom's hand was on her cheek, and the machine was looking at her with an emotion-like light in her eyes once again.

"Thank **you**, Marben, for taking my dear boy back home the night of the fire" said Mom, and it sounded so heartfelt the girl had to put her hand on the one that was caressing her cheek; Mom felt good, to the touch, but clearly wasn't made of skin. Marben wondered if the machine-maid could feel her touch at all.

"You're good to him, and I'm glad he found you". Feeling or not, Marben decided to give the mechanic hand a squeeze anyway.

"I'm glad I found him too" she confessed softly, and right then felt happy to have found someone like she had never felt in her whole life.

* * *

A/N: Have I already said that Mom is too precious for this world? I'll repeat, if it is not clear enough!

This will be a long chapter, divided in three parts: what will Marben see on her journey inside the Umbrella Academy? Wanna try and guess? :)

I hope you are all well. Love.


	25. Chapter 24 (II)

_Chapter Soundtrack: watch?v=mAY9jV_uNGg_

21 (II).

Hauling in a tossing and screaming Klaus from the backdoor, Five called loudly for the help of whoever was nearby.

"Couldn't you grab him and space jump directly inside?" grunted Marben dodging a tin lid and getting a grim look from her sweaty, disheveled boyfriend.

"Easiest thing in the world, when the one you have to give a piggyback ride is an entire head taller than you and not cooperative in the slightest!".

Finally done with the noise and the mess Mom came to the rescue, and with inhuman force grabbed Klaus from the armpits, lifted him from the ground and dragged him toward the table; Marben watched in astonishment as she ripped the tin lids from the boy's hands and, taking the insulating tape Five offered her, started tying Klaus' wrists to the chair.

"Mom…hey, Mom…" drawled the confused boy, focusing for a moment on the familiar face of his mother.

"Yes, Klaus" Mom answered, automatically smiling at him.

"Have…have you ever wondered what a vegetable thinks about?". Mom's smile became indulgent.

"Klaus, dear, vegetables are devoid of central nervous system: they think nothing at all".

"F…Five, is this…normal administration?". Five gave her a bemused look. "You know, tying your brother to a chair while he's delirious…".

"Oh, yes, of course! He's high and…".

"LET GO OF ME, THEY HAD IT COMING!" bellowed Klaus trying for an unfocused, last escape; Mom kept winding tape as if nothing had happened.

"Klaus, be a dear and stay put".

"THEY DIDN'T LET ME SLEEP, MOM! IT WAS ONLY FAIR TO NOT LET THEM SLEEP TOO, FOR TON…no, wait, THEY DON'T SLEEP AT ALL!". Marben looked at Five, but he only twirled a finger to his own temple, whistling. Instinctively, the blonde girl grabbed another ginger cookie from the plate and ate it quickly; she knew what Klaus' power was and what problems it caused him, watching Five dismiss his brother's torment so regardlessly had given her another bout of nausea.

"Listen, why…why don't you go wait up in my room?" suggested then her boyfriend, probably worried she'd be thinking of breaking up with him if his family kept to be its chaotic self. Marben looked quizzically at him.

"Don't worry, everything's under control. Klaus will be fine with Grace" Five told her with his most convincing look of the good, reliable bloke. "I'll join you in a tick, okay?". Marben didn't like that much the idea of getting lost in the Academy all by herself, but she told herself that Five would come to her rescue wherever she would managed to end up.

"Okay" she begrudgingly acquiesced. "Where is it, this mystique room of yours?". At that hint of playfulness, Five's face lightened up a bit, gifting her one of those unguarded smiles she loved so much.

"In the attic" he said softly, "Climb all the stairs to the upper bedrooms and then the remaining flights too: when the walls become green, just down the corridor, take the only door and you'll be there. Make yourself at home". Five leaned down to give her a swift but ardent kiss - which caused Klaus to get cheerful and start smooching everything he could reach without relying on his hands.

"Marben, JUST GO, please, I don't want you to see this!" yelled Five when his brother stopped peppering Mom with kisses and shifted his interests on him. With a slightly hysterical giggle, Marben fled.

The stairs to the attic seemed to be endless, as if the mansion had been a million floors high, but while climbing them Marben managed to peek some more glimpses of the strange, yet fascinating Academy. At some point, she came across a landing with two juxtaposed doors; one was slightly ajar and showed very little of a dark and empty room, from the other door instead came out the only girl of the family she had yet to meet in person. Number Three, or The Rumor. Allison.

"What's this insufferable…oh my god" she said, sporting a mortified expression as soon as her eyes landed on the blonde girl. Marben didn't even look down at herself, she just smiled her most sweet, dangerous smile.

"Quite fetching, that pajamas. Did you steal it from a a retirement home?". Allison went livid, and with eyes wide open pointed stiffly toward the stairs.

"I…I said, what is this insufferable clamor coming from downstairs?". Marben calmly looked over her own shoulder, like she couldn't care less of having been addressed.

"Uh…it's Klaus".

"Oh, for fuck's sake, is he high again?" the younger girl testily asked.

"Yes. I'm afraid it's exactly so".

"Well, whoever is with him is managing". Waving a hand as if to chase away a fly, Allison was clearly ready to dismiss the problem and go back to whatever she deemed of importance in her bedroom, but then stopped abruptly.

"Hey, wait!" she called in a rush, and Marben stopped on her tracks.

"Yes?".

"Aren't you…the girl on all the posters on the street walls? **The violinist**?". Marben responded to her gossipy attitude with an unimpressed glance.

"Yeah, that would be me and some other classmates".

"So you're a celebrity too…I posed for Trend Rage's cover last month!". The younger girl's smile made itself knowing, but Marben didn't trust her fake camaraderie for half a second.

"I'm a bit famous, in a way, I suppose".

"I want to be an actress, when I'll be of age…to make it my real career. And that cover was my launchpad!" Allison continued, clueless to Marben's lost interest as she resumed climbing the stairs.

"Congratulations. I don't give a damn about it, but still".

"Oh. Well, then you probably don't have what it takes to be…you know, **special**!". Marben stopped on her track and turned to look at the cheeky little toddler who had just lost the last bit of her umbilical cord and already was playing grown up woman with her: even with a stranger looming over her, with skinny arms crossed on her almost flat chest and an insolent smile plastered on her face Allison had the nerve to try and not look inferior. That deserved some respect, and Marben recognized it. But for all the rest, the little minx was going to get swallowed whole, like a mice at a hungry snake's mercy.

"Allison Hargreeves, at your age you should very well know that fame is something that eats away your private life, your true identity and your freedom as well! Why would you ever want to become famous?". Allison's smile slipped away. "But after all you already are, aren't you? You fight evil and make the world a better place, helping the ill-fated people of every nation, even setting a good example for little girls! You rock, girl!".

"I don't want that!" blurted out the pajama-clad teen, disgusted. "I want to wear beautiful designer clothes, diamonds, walk on a red carpet while everyone is photographing me, and be second to none!".

"Then I saw it right: you only care about yourself" calmly replied Marben, after a pause. "And since your name alone wouldn't take you anywhere, you use your father's surname to make your way into stardom…well, I guess then I'm not the only one without what it takes to be, you know, **famous**!".

"That's bullshit!" hissed Allison, letting her arms fall down and her fists ball up at her sides while her eyes lit up in rage.

"Dream big all you want, Number Three, but until you judge a girl by her clothes and don't care at all for your own screaming brother, even disrespectfully treat Mom like a sewing machine…you're not worth the paper and ink they used to print your face on that fucking ass-wipe!". The only answer Marben got, was the slamming of a door when she already was several steps ahead.

Deep down, Marben knew that Allison probably wasn't a bad person at heart, but that didn't prevent her from feeling disgusted by the other girl's superficiality and indifference. Surely growing up with a distant father and a machine as a mimicry for a mother had been trying on her - like on all her siblings -, and puberty wasn't helping at all in this delicate phase of cultivating the buds of her individuality…but what a colossal delusion it had been, to see a young girl already voted to such selfishness!

Absorbed in these dark and angry thoughts, Marben decided she deserved a rest, and so let herself fall on the first thing that happened to be on her way: a rich, golden, engraved console who looked very antique and felt very uncomfortable under her bum, but one can't have everything in life, she supposed.

"Thanks" came suddenly a quiet voice from under the console, which caused Marben to ungracefully slip off of it with a yelp. "She's been insufferable since the photoshoot, and that was months ago. It was time for someone to finally show her her place again".

Bending down to peep through the penumbra under the console, Marben was welcomed by the eyes of a boy huddled on the floor, reading a book with an electric torch's aid.

"Ben, am I right?" she asked; the boy nodded. "Wouldn't it be comfier to read on your bed or…sprawled on a sofa?". The boy looked around himself for a moment.

"I guess I do this out of habitude: we're not allowed to have fun outside of Saturday afternoons, so…I hide here every evening to read a little". Marben smiled sweetly at him.

"Admirable. But…forgive me if I tell you, you look a bit ridiculous crumpled up down here. You've almost outgrown your little lair". The boy smiled timidly up at her.

"I know. I should start to look for another bolthole next time Dad's away".

"Yeah, sounds like a good idea". Marben sat cross-legged on the floor and extended her hand in greeting. "I'm Marben, by the way. Pleased to meet you".

"Pleasure's all mine" said the boy shaking her hand with one of his soft and warm ones. The other, Marben noted, stayed protectively curled around the book he held. "I saw you play at your school, last month: I had never been to a concert, before, but…I liked it very much!".

"Thanks, Ben, it's very sweet of you to say so. I'm glad you liked it". Ben's cheeks tinged of bright red, thing that got Marben smiling again at him.

"Was…forgive me if I'm prying, but was the music you were playing composed by yourself?".

"Oh, no, I can't compose. My Dad does, but I never learned…I guess I uh…'don't have what it takes to'" Marben winked; Ben didn't miss the banter and the both of them burst in snickers, lighthearted on Marben's part but mocking on Ben's.

"I think you've got whatever it takes to do or be anything you want. Don't listen to Allison, she's just jealous and bitter". Marben stopped laughing and looked at the boy, amazed: for all his looking aloof and reserved, Ben possessed such a kind heart and she strongly felt like hugging him. She didn't, of course, something told her it would get him extremely uncomfortable, but still, being in the presence of such a positive individual made her feel reinvigorated, a bit of a better person too.

"And after all, you know what they say about depressing people like her, don't you? Easy come, easy go".

"…_will you let me go? BISMILLAH, NOOOOOOO!_" sang Marben to the fullest, jumping up like a spring and pointing ahead for dramatic emphasis. Ben looked at her like she had just sprouted a second head, oblivious to Klaus screaming from several floors below '_WE WILL NOT LET YOU GO - LET HIM GOOOOOOO_!'. Realizing she had just made the biggest fool of herself, Marben gathered as much dignity as she could and cleared her throat.

"Sorry, I'm…it has something to do with…us Brits, I couldn't uh…resist". Ben blinked owlishly at her. "All right, then, I'll just…".

Pointing at nothing in particular, Marben took her awkward leave, without even saying goodbye - but neither did Ben, after all, who sat under the console staring after the girl's sprint for quite a bit yet.

Thankfully it didn't take long before the walls started to be painted in a soft green, and soon she was running toward the only door on the last landing of the stairs, anxious to bundle herself up in Five's blankets and never face the outside world again. Blimey, what a wild night had been!

Slamming open the door, however, Marben was brusquely catapulted in Five's reality…and though she had never seen before the things scattered through the room, she felt like she knew them intimately: everything was so inherently Five that she felt like personally having studied at his desk, or huddled in his bed, read the books from his shelves or even played with the dearest toys he had kept from his childhood. It was a complex environment, the childish wallpaper clashed with the posters on the walls, the serious coverlet and the navy blue curtains at the two windows. Old-fashioned bracket lamps and a matching hanging chandelier reminded her of those saloons she had seen in the Western movies her grandparents were so fond of, and several mismatched lampshades made her breathe pure nostalgia, as the home she had grown up in had never seen two of those alike.

Everything was new, and everything was old; familiar and unfamiliar at once, young and ancient like Five looked and was. And on the walls, above the wallpaper, on the nude, pale green plaster, thousands and thousands of chalk scribbles that looked like intricate mathematical equations that Marben couldn't have deciphered for the life of her.

"Oh, Five, you lovely smart-arse…what would this be?" murmured the girl barely touching one of the symbols.

"Probability calculations" said a voice from the door; Marben started and turned to see just Five, leaning against the jamb in a casual way, hands in his pockets. "I…wrote them down when I still didn't know what I felt for you, and doing it gave me the answers I needed". The boy shrugged giving her a tender smile.

"So…you realized you love me because probability told you so?".

"No, I already knew I loved you, but I needed to be certain!" countered Five, condescendingly. "You saw my family. Can you imagine going to any of them to ask for advice on love?". Marben didn't need to ponder it for a second.

"No. You're all batshit crazy". Five raised his eyebrows and gave her a tiny smile.

"You're the one to talk, I heard you sing Bohemian Rhapsody from six floors below, Ben's probably traumatized for life!". At that, Marben gasped horrified.

"Fiiiiiiiiiveeeeee" she whimpered, going in search of his embrace to bury her face in it and never resurface again. "Your family now thinks I'm mental!".

"_Magnifico-o-o-o-o_" singsonged the boy, holding her tight before she got mad at him and tried to sneak away.

"STOP IT! I'M BEING SERIOUS!" shouted Marben, indeed disentangling from his arms and punching him hard in the shoulder. Five guffawed a pained laugh.

"Come on Princess, I just wanted a little fun for myself too! I've got trapped with the difficult brother until now, if you hadn't noticed! And in this regard, how aren't you freaked out by us?".

"So far, the shit of you guys it's not that different from the shit I've seen happening in other families" replied Marben, unfazed; then, her face became worried.

"How's Klaus?".

"Already on his marry way to recovery. He just needs to sleep it off". Opening his arms in a suggestive way, Five waited for her to nestle against his chest; Marben, instead, grabbed him for the tie and dragged him toward the bed, on which he was thrown and left to look astonished as his girlfriend kicked off her shoes, picked the heavy blanket on the chest at the end of the bed and then proceeded to huddle up on him, spreading the warm blanket over both of them.

"Aaaah, that's it, my favorite place in the whole world" she purred in satisfaction, tucking her head under his jaw. It took Five a moment to realize that he wasn't being manhandled anymore, and that now he could get comfortable too; so he wormed out of his shoes as well and enveloped his love in a tight hug, nuzzling her hair.

"I missed you" whispered Marben; Five sighed and closed his eyes.

"I missed you too. Even if it we've been in the same house all the time".

"But not together, that's the point".

"Yeah…not together". Marben snuggled closer.

"I want to stay like this forever" she said, her voice sounding muffled by his clothing. Five felt shrouded in warmth, joy and love. He held Marben a little closer, and petted gently her hair.

"Fine, by me".

* * *

_A/N: You're in for a long one, folks! That's why it took an entire day to revise it and then publish. Jeez, I feel like I just gave birth. I'm trying to divide paragraphs, as was wisely advised to me by a pious soul who took pity on my bad layouts…I hope it will lighten your reading! :)_


	26. Chapter 24 (III)

_Chapter Soundtrack: watch?v=mAY9jV_uNGg  
_

* * *

"FIVE!".  
The door banged open, making the two teens wake up with a brusque startle. Both Five and Marben looked at the dazzling light coming from the hallway without managing to see who was at the door.  
"Dad's back! You gotta take her home!". Ben, Marben told herself, definitely Ben: Klaus was high, Allison was an unforgiving bitch and Diego would have stuttered like hell. It had got to be Ben.  
"Shi'!" slurred Five starting to uncoordinatedly fuss under her; Marben rolled off of him and in a second was on the carpet, still half blinded by the light and struggling to find her shoes.  
"Come on, Five! Get a move on!" said Ben, then shut the door after himself, disappearing, and everything was dark again.  
"Gosh, it's like…being high on mushies…".  
"Wha'?".  
"Nothing, nothing…ah, I can't find my shoe…".  
"Let's go, Marben, we don't have time!".  
"And what about my shoe?".  
"I'll bring it along tomorrow evening, just **move**!".  
"FOUND IT!". Shoes in hand, Marben spotted Five and literally jumped straight into his embrace. In a flash of blue light, they were gone.

The landing in the dorm room went slightly less efficiently: still caught by surprise by Marben's upsurge, Five lost his balance and both of them fell untidily to the ground, scattering around the floor the shoes they hadn't had the time to put on. They immediately burst out laughing, heartily, aloud, uncaring of the late hour, piled up on top of one another as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Eventually, little by little, their laughs abated into mirthful giggles and then some occasional snickers.  
"Oh **god**" sighed Five, and the strong rush of air from his lungs directly caressing Marben's cheek made her feel things. "**We're terrible**!".  
"Oh no, I wouldn't say that, babe" snickered the girl. "Our departure was fucking perfect…we just lost it a little on the landing, that's all".  
"WE?" blurted the boy, an incredulous laugh on his lips. "I had everything under control, it was you that charged at me like a freakin' bull at the bullfight!". They started laughing again, snuggling closer to each other despite being sweaty; when the laughter died out, enjoying the silence and the simple delight of being together took over.  
"Tell me something of you I still don't know" said Five, softly, after some time.  
"Uhm…nothing's coming to my mi…ah, I play the piano and the guitar, other than the violin".  
"Shit! You're a prodigy, then!".  
"Now, don't be sappy, Dimple!".  
"Not a prodigy? A…portent. No, portent sounds just awful…a marvel! It even sounds a bit like your name, **you're a marvel**!".  
"Seriously, Five. Just because I'm a multi-instrumentalist? Come on!".  
"As you please, then, Peaches. But I still think you're marvelous".  
"Ooooh, my dear…I swear, you weren't a sucker for pet names, when I met you. And certainly not this sappy!".  
"And here's another thing of you I didn't know: you like your man a little sugary".  
"Mmmmh, I might".  
"Lucky me, I can be the sappiest of all for the right Doll".  
"Such a poet, my Five, such a poet! Now, tell me why your sister Allison is a pain in the butt".  
"Eeww! You wanna talk about **Allison**?".  
"Yes. I met her, a couple of hours ago, and I'd like to hear a second opinion on why she is the way she is".  
''Cause she's a bitch, isn't it obvious?".  
That comment reminded Marben of how Five had referred to Klaus as 'mad' or 'the difficult brother'; she lifted her head and looked down at her boyfriend.  
"You're an almost complete arsehole, to your siblings, you know that?". Five's face flushed red in indignation.  
"Oh, **come on**, just because I made a rude comment about my sister?".  
"Yes, that, and what about that sign you made earlier, addressing to Klaus?" the girl countered, slowly repeating said gesture. Five then looked stunned, as if he had suddenly realized he really had a completely different attitude from what he was used to think, in regard of his brothers and sisters.  
"Ca…can you tell you're always nice to your siblings? Like all the fucking time?".  
"Yes, because I'm the oldest and I feel extremely protective of them".  
"Well, that's really sweet, considering that y'all are real relatives and your family is not a total mess!".  
"Five" Marben interrupted him, dryly but not unkindly, "Don't turn this into a drama. I didn't say you're a despicable person, only...try to put yourself in their shoes, sometime, maybe it could help you understand some things about the relationship you share with them…like why you and Allison don't get along, for example!".  
"I don't know why we don't get along, alright? Or to be more accurate, **I don't care**: we weren't close as kids and we're even less, now that…".  
"…that you're turning into a man and she's turning into a woman?".  
"Yeah, that".  
"…you don't seem all that disgusted by the idea of **me** turning into a woman, tough…".  
"Because you already are a woman, and above all you're not my sister! And **thank god**, or I'd be having nightmares for the thoughts I sometimes get about you doing…".  
Straight away, the dark room filled with the heaviest silence possible. Or at least, this is what Five would have said if he'd been asked to describe the vibe. Marben, however, wasn't of the same opinion: slowly, she reached the switch of the nearest lamp and turned it on.  
"Five Hargreeves" she said in a delusive tone, eyes boring into the green ones of her boyfriend from above "Did you just admit you've been having fantasies about me?".  
Five looked terrified: with eyes wide like saucers he nodded brusquely, Adam's apple going up and down in his exposed, nervous throat. Marben smiled mysteriously at him, then, and next thing he knew the room was dark again. Five didn't dare to move, scared shitless by the idea of Marben being disgusted, now that she knew, so he stayed there where she'd left him…and in a few seconds his ears were overjoyed by the soft sound of clothes being left to fall on the floor. Right then and there he found the guts to say something, his pubescent voice cracking mercilessly.  
"Marben…I survived last time by miracle. How can you expect me to see tomorrow if you keep doing this while I'm in the room?".  
A hiss and then a small crackle later, a lit match illuminated flickeringly the same Marben that had welcomed him that evening, in a skimpy white camisole, pink knickers…and inexplicably, a black domino mask on her lovely face.  
"Wha…where did you get that?" blowed Five, sitting up and extending a hand toward her face, looking awed. Marben smiled and shifted a little, moving away to avoid being touched; she instead pushed forward the small flame, and only then the boy realized that she wasn't holding out a match, but a muffin with a lit, blue birthday candle on the top. 'LOVE MY DIMPLE' was written around the birthday candle in blue icing.  
"Happy birthday with weeks of delay, love" said Marben with a soft smile. "And sorry if I couldn't arrange something better, but…". Grabbing the muffin in one hand, Five leaned forward and winded his free arm around Marben's neck, dragging her in a steamy kiss.  
"This is perfect. **You are perfect**!" he said when they broke apart, looking down to his small birthday cake. His first ever.  
"'Love my Dimple'" he snickered. "So now someone else knows you call me like that…". Marben shook her head, looking very pleased with herself.  
"I made the inscription personally. Nobody else knows your dirty secret, Dimple". Five looked at her with mirth and something absolutely soft and unguarded, in his eyes, something that made her want to hold him forever. But first, the birthday party.  
"So. Are you gonna blow that candle off or you want me to sing 'Happy Birthday to You', first?". For a moment Five looked puzzled, and even a tad shy.  
"I…don't know. Nobody has ever sang it to me". He looked up at his girlfriend. "Is it nice?".  
Marben didn't have the heart to tell him that no, it was the most embarrassing moment of every single birthday party in the world, so she simply sat beside him, rested her head on his shoulder and sweetly sang him happy birthday in hushed tones, trying for him to make it sound the less awkward possible, both of them staring at the little flame melting the wax of the blue candle.  
"Blow to my three, babe" warned when she was done, "One. Two. Three".  
Both teens blew on the little candle and although it went off in a puff of smoke, the room didn't sink into darkness again: the timid light of a new day seeped in by the window, illuminating them tenuously.  
"My…fake birthday's already passed…" said Five in a thin and crestfallen voice. Marben chuckled fondly and kissed the moles on his dimple.  
"No, it isn't. We decided to celebrate our birthdays whenever we wanted, so we get to decide when they end, too. And in this case, it's not now". She discarded the burnt birthday candle - Five readily dumped it inside his pocket, unseen - and took off the domino mask.  
"I suggest I take the 'Dimple' part and you the 'Love' one. Sounds good, to you?" the girl asked with a smile; Five grinned back.  
"Deal!" he said, messily splitting the muffin; they fumbled to catch all the crumbs, between laughs and giggles, and got smears of blue icing on their upper lips and noses, by the end of it all, that they cleaned from each other's faces with kisses and playful nips; there were no gifts, but Five couldn't have asked for anything more. He had never felt happier and more loved in all his life, it was addictive and he wanted it to never end. Never ever.

* * *

_A/N: Thank you, thank you and THANK YOU again for your wonderful support. Y'all are precious._

_PS: I'll be making some changes in the old chapters' format; updates remain on Tuesdays and Fridays._


	27. Chapter 25

_Chapter Soundtrack: watch?v=jzaOBg7qjAk_

* * *

22.

It began with a school trip to an ancient art museum: while the girls were mimicking a group of statues for a photo, Marben had the sharp sensation that a couple of the security cameras of the museum had turned specifically to film their way. She readily forced herself to dismiss it as a bout of paranoia, but later, when no other than Sir Reginald Hargreeves appeared at the museum, it became clear that it was too big of a coincidence to really be one. And so the girl made a beeline to reach her cousin's side and grab her hand; Myery's glance went at once to Marben's troubled face, then crossed the hall. A moment later, the two of them had sneaked at the top of the row, right next to the professors, Lear and Diana suddenly by their sides.

From then on, the four girls had started to never stray from the class - and to never let their eyes wander too, for Marben, whose glance had immediately crossed the man's cold one the only time she had dared to look back to see if he was following. True to their words, Turandot and Fulvius had both made themselves known shortly after Sir Hargreeves' arrival, and taken to roaming through the museum's halls, always watching Marben's back, encouraging her to keep her eyes down, always standing between her and the disturbing presence of the Monocle.

Since then, Sir Reginald Hargreeves began to appear very often wherever the girls went. Very suspiciously, he always knew where to be at the right moment and where to look.

.oO°Oo.

The next time that the ominous Sir showed up during rehearsal - stiff, with the monocle on and the usual journal with the shiny cover under his arm - Mister Kai barely payed him mind; just a glance over a shoulder and the orchestra didn't even stop playing. Marben, instead, watched their guest very keenly with all the discretion she was capable of, and even more keenly she tried to watch the other two people who had taken place by his side in the stalls. Klaus looked nauseated and pale, if that was however due to a phase of withdrawal from drugs or the mere vicinity of his father, Marben couldn't discern. The woman seated next to the boy didn't look too well also, but Marben didn't have the opportunity to observe her properly: surprisingly, from between two folds of the red velvet curtain Fulvius told her not to look at the woman with a glance alone and a shake of his head. Marben would've trusted Fulv with her life regardless, but this time something in his dark eyes really scared her. So she lowered her gaze to the music sheets and never looked up until the rehearsal was over.

Later, Hargreeves and his acolytes were joined by Headmaster Pembroke and lingered to discuss with him the last issues related to the upcoming benefit concert. While the orchestra put away its instruments and discreetly reached the exits, Marben exchanged just one look with Klaus, and didn't like at all what she saw. He looked haunted, scared and hopeless. Sadly, however, she had to go and follow the rest of her class out of the Theatre. The mystery in Fulvius' eyes and Klaus' despair, tough, didn't abandon her for the rest of the day.

.oO°Oo.

"Do you know what Fulv was doing at the Theatre, the other day?". Turandot gave Marben one of her patented eloquent glances, her generous lips slightly curling and her black eyebrows furrowing a bit.  
"Looking after you, like we always do".  
"Well, thanks mom, and sorry for the bother!". Turandot's features swiftly softened.  
"You know we do it because we love you, it's no bother to us. We've been getting worried, lately, and feeling the need to follow you more closely". Marben looked up quizzically at the beautiful dark woman: she kept better than Fulvius, perhaps it was because of the lack of gaps between her teeth or the clothes, always clean and in perfect conditions despite being in light colors. Her luscious black hair, olive complexion and generally sad aura, anyhow, made her be perceived as a dark spot in the visual field.  
"Worried about what?".  
"Sir Reginald Hargreeves". Marben groaned, like a sudden bout of bellyache had struck her.  
"Oh no, not you too!" she mumbled darkly. "I came across that man the day I arrived here, and at the time he was just an eccentric billionaire with a load of kids. Now everyone I know thinks he's plotting something in the dark!".  
"'Everyone' who, exactly?" asked Turandot, confused, then shrugged it off and went back to her previous point. "Think about it, isn't it suspicious that all of a sudden he takes an interest in your School?".  
"He wants a show and we can provide an orchestra and a Theater, so…look, it has nothing to do with the School, he just wants to be seen as contrite by the community and clean up his conscience".  
"Yes, as if he cared at all about those poor sods who died!".  
"I too know that Arsegreeves doesn't give a damn about the victims of the fire, thank you very much".  
"Are you being deliberately obtuse, then?". Marben sharply closed her mouth and turned to look at her friend: Turandot was fuming.  
"Think, Marben, why **right there**? Connect the dots!". To that, the blonde girl's mind crowded with too many, all different answers. Sighing, she chose to be honest, even if it cost her.  
"I don't want to".  
Turandot probably perceived what was troubling the girl then, so she let the anger dissolve, and her eyes soften as her whole body relaxed.  
"You already did, didn't you? You've already guessed what that man might be after…". Sadly, Marben lowered her eyes and nodded. The dark-haired woman sat down beside her, and placing a hand on the back of her neck she guided Marben against her chest, wrapping her in an embrace. The girl lost herself in it, closing her eyes. They remained cuddled for a long time, careless of the noise of the traffic in the distance, as well as of the sun sliding towards the horizon, of the air becoming colder and darker.  
"Alright, maybe some digging wouldn't be a bad idea" conceded Marben when she felt like herself again, raising her head with a sigh. Turandot gently stroked her cheek.  
"Just be careful, okay? Stay away from that man and be discreet" she pleaded. "Fulvius and I will be watching your back, as always, but…prudence is never too much". Marben smiled at her.  
"Don't worry, I'll be having The Girls with me". 

* * *

_A/N: Weren't we stuck in isolation, these days would have been a holiday: I wish you not to spend them alone, that you can enjoy the company of your loved ones and that, even if you are not religious (like me), may these be days you'll spend not thinking about unhappy things, but just breathing the new spring's fresh air. Be happy, you owe it to yourselves. Love._


	28. Chapter 26

_Chapter Soundtrack: watch?v=KhZq0vPA3gY_

* * *

23.

"Marben?".  
"Mmmh?".  
"Fuck you!".  
"Oh, dear lord, here we go again!".  
"This is sodding unfair! I had a date, tonight, but I got to call it off to investigate on the alleged illegal activities of Sir Arsegreeves!".  
"Yes, and while you're at it lower your voice, Miss Sodding Unfair, or if we get caught I'm gonna blame all this mess on you".  
"Ooooh, if only Sir Arsegreeves knew you're planning to bang his precious little daughter…".  
"DIANA!".

All of a sudden it wasn't dark anymore, and in the little, pokey room filled with file cabinets four girls found themselves squinting at each other, half blinded by the light.  
"Who the heck did you plan to shag, tonight, Lear?" growled Marben, hand still on the switch; Lear looked defiantly at her.  
"Your hot student, Vanya".  
"Don't you fucking dare to play with her feelings, are we understood? She's a fragile girl and deserves respect. I don't even think she's lost her virginity yet".  
"Wa-wa-wait, how have we come to talk about the scary man's daughter's virginity?" Diana asked to Myery, who shook her head and then resumed searching between the documents.  
"Yeah, I wasn't going to be a bitch to her regardless, thanks for the credit" snarked Lear at Marben, "Anyway, I would have thought that fucking a pair of siblings would have made you laugh, rather than get you pissed off!".  
"It has nothing to do about Five and Vanya being siblings, it's about you thinking of yourself as a sailor, looking for a different girl every fucking place we go! But I won't let you do that to Vanya, this time you'll leave the port without your conquest!".  
"I like her for real, who do you take me for? I'm not the slag you…".  
"Hey, sorry to interrupt this love fest" said Diana loud enough to overtop the quarrel, with her eyes glued to the papers she'd fished from folder labeled 'IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS', "but I think I just found something suspicious".  
With the force of a hurricane, the other three girls dashed immediately at Diana's side, to peek through the papers. Indeed, what appeared to be the Hargreeves' initials made their appearance many and many times through all the documents. On one of them, however, the name appeared in full.  
"Wait…show me this document!" exclaimed drily Myery, removing said paper from the folder and turning it over: there was something, on the edge of the page, written in pencil and badly erased. The girl then turned on the nearest table lamp and juxtaposed to it the corner of the document, letting it backlight the hidden words.  
"Ha!" she exulted then, turning and marching toward an exact cabinet, inside which she resumed her previous furious rummaging. "Let's see!". "Wha'…?" blurted Diana, trying to follow her.  
"Not you, you already did your part. Those other two, instead, let them come to make themselves useful!" declared Myery, without stopping her search in the meanwhile. Giving each other a stern look, Marben and Lear approached the cabinet just seconds before the red-haired girl fished triumphantly the folder she was looking for. 'EXCHANGES AND SCHOLARSHIPS', the label said, and Myery immediately started browsing through it with intent, while Marben and Lear distractedly looked for anything that could catch their eye and Diana joined them, the first folder still in her hands.  
It was then that Myery slammed the open folder on the top of a table, and pointed at its content.  
"There. All the evidence we need" she said with an air of finality. The other girls stared down at the paper sheets in astonishment.  
"Well" said Diana at some point, in a thin voice, "I guess I'll start the copy machine".

.oO°Oo.

"Hey". Marben looked from the well kept sidewalk directly up in Ben's dark, worried stare.  
"Oh. Ben, hello" she said a little absently. The lines of concern on the boy's forehead deepened.  
"Are you alright, Marben?".  
"I…yes, I'm alright. Only a bit anxious…for the benefit concert, that's all" she lied, plastering a smile on her face, but it probably appeared as fake as it felt, because something in Ben's eyes shifted.  
"Can I?" he asked, gesturing to the empty side of the bench, and despite her wary mood Marben nodded, even making a bit of space for him. Ben sat and for a while looked ahead, at nothing in particular; then took a deep breath and turned to her.  
"Remember when I told you you can be or do anything you'd like?". The girl nodded again. "Just keep thinking and believing it. You won't be needing anything else".  
For the third time in a row, Marben nodded with her eyes lowered to the ground. Ben probably got it as a hint of wanting to be left alone, so lightly stood up and wavered a bit about saying his goodbyes or just leaving.  
"I never asked' said suddenly Marben, saving him the trouble, "What do you want to become, when you'll be of age? Mind you, **not** what your father wants you to, but what **you** really want to become". For a moment, Ben's face went completely blank, and then lit up in the most sincere hope Marben had ever seen.  
"A writer" he said lightly, like as if he didn't want to rumple his dream by saying it out too loud. Marben felt warmth spread inside her, then, and a sweet, real smile animated her face.  
"I'm sure you will succeed. And I'll be your first and biggest fan. Promised".  
With a flattered smile, Ben took his leave waving a hand at her; Marben stayed on the cold bench, waving back and feeling her smile slide away from her face. It wasn't long before she felt Turandot's hand on her shoulder.  
"Maybe he could be of some help…from the inside, I mean. Be your eyes inside the Academy". Marben sighed and made to look up at her, but kindly Turandot's hand nested on her nape.  
"Don't look up, sweetheart. We don't know who could be watching".  
Marben sat still for a few moments more, torn between acting and staying. Then stood up and rapidly crossed the street, calling for Ben.

* * *

_A/N: Thank you. ALWAYS thank you. _


	29. Chapter 27

_Chapter Soundtrack: watch?v=jzaOBg7qjAk_

* * *

24.

"That friggin' creep is definitely following us" growled Lear in Marben's ear one afternoon, during a walk in the park. They had just passed in front of Mister Hargreeves, who, seated on a bench and writing on his notebook with a shiny pen, was probably pretending to be there by chance. And brilliantly so, judging by the cordial smile and greeting the girls' teacher had offered him. "How the fuck is it possible that none of our imbecile teachers have noticed yet?".  
Marben didn't know. Since the museum, Arsegreeves had showed up during one of her class' visits to the Library, and after his first appearance at rehearsal he had never missed a single one. She had began to feel heavily oppressed by his presence, and to worry; the watchful gaze of the old billionaire felt like a burden on her shoulders, even when she was far away from it.  
"It's as if he knew what we found about him!" murmured Diana.  
"The timing certainly is perfect" Marben acquiesced, keeping her head bowed. Out of nowhere, Myery's hand urgently grabbed hers, and the red-haired girl began to talk a mile a minute.  
"What he's doing it's illegal! He gets a six-months prison sentence, if you manage to demonstrate to the court he's harassing you, and another five years if you request a restraining order and he violates it…".  
"According to American law?" Marben replied shortly, unexpectedly, interrupting her; Myery gaped at her cousin for a moment, then guiltily closed her mouth.  
"We're not in England, My".  
"I…I can do some research…".  
"Never mind. Even if I were to report, nobody would ever take me seriously". Feeling guilty for having been brusque, Marben squeezed Myery's hand tightly, stroking its thumb with hers. "He is a billionaire who has done a lot of charity around here, and I…I'm just a teenage nobody, far away from home. They would think I feel lost and homesick and then punish me for accusing an illustrious citizen".  
To this, the girls dared not reply. Still, Lear chose to voice the doubt that was nagging at her.  
"But...why do you all seem so sure the old maniac is following precisely Marben?".  
The question surprised the other girls so much that they suddenly came to a halt, causing a small group of classmates to bump into them with a chorus of huffs and indignant exclamations, and several tire screeches and honks to be made resonate in the busy main street - they then realized they had stopped right in the middle of a pedestrian crossing. Apologizing profusely, the four girls hurried to reach the sidewalk without causing any more mayhem.  
"See what happens when you're being dense?" said Diana to Lear, piqued. "Please refrain from doing it again".  
"Hang on, I just…".  
"Cut the crap, you very well know why someone like Arsegreeves might be interested in her".

By then, the group had reached the School's main gate: scattered there waiting to be able to enter, the girls' classmates gathered in small groups to chat and in the same way Marben and Myery turned to their friends. Lear kept looking from one to the other, trying to understand from their faces whether or not she had guessed the reason of the argument; when at last her gaze settled on Marben's face, she spoke in a vague, almost shy tone.  
"Is it about…you know, **that** thing or…".  
"We suspect it's about my nightmares" said Marben in a sweet tone which, however, betrayed an underlying bitterness.  
"Ah, not what I thought, then! It's **that other thing**". Lear looked relieved for a moment, but then her face darkened. "'**We**'?" she repeated, looking at her three best friends in disbelief. "You've been talking about this without including me?".  
"What? No!" Myery replied indignantly.  
"No, Lear, it was just pretty obvious" intervened Diana, in a placating manner. "Come on, when did we ever cut you off? We're a team, the four of us!". To that, Lear seemed to finally calm down: discarding her usual animosity, she looked back at Marben.  
"So...you're not angry because I'm seeing Vanya?".  
"No, no...absolutely not".  
"How did Arsegreeves find out?".  
"I don't know", Marben said, and then thought 'But I have my suspicions'. Lear looked down and nodded, and after a moment looked up again.  
"Did you tell Five?".

.oO°Oo. 

"It was your father that organized the school exchange I'm taking part in" said Marben that same evening, slamming a thick pile of photocopies on her table; behind her, the sound of a sneeze, a crackle and then the most absolute, unexpected silence.  
"Five? Why are you…". Turning to look for her boyfriend, the girl faced an empty room: for a moment she stood there, dumbfounded, but then…  
"Oh" she whispered, confusion turning into astonishment, "The sneeze!".  
Another crackle and a flash of blue light made her turn abruptly towards the door, where a visibly flustered Five reappeared looking at her with wide eyes and flushed cheeks. The two exchanged a long glance, somewhat amused on the girl's part and painfully embarrassed on the boy's, who was leaning against the desk with his arms crossed and ostentatiously, stubbornly feigning easiness.  
"Not a word" Five snarled eventually, and Marben gracefully indulged him, drawing the attention back to the documents as if nothing had happened.

"Look here" she said, pointing to a particular paper. "Hargreeves designed the project, spotted the schools to which allow access, set the conditions, donated the sums necessary to finance it all and…".  
"And?" asked Five with a strange, hard stare that Marben had never seen before. It gave her a bad feeling, but she had to tell him what she knew at all costs, even if she was afraid.  
"…he also personally chose the students to which assign the available places". Five gave another look at the document in his hand and then frowned.  
"How…how did you get your hands on these papers?". Marben shrugged and tried her best to look elusive.  
"With my cousin's and other two friend's help…I couldn't get out of my head what you said about your father, that he never does anything without a hidden agenda, and so we dug around a bit in the secretariat and found out why the Headmaster acts as if your father owned this School".  
"He finances it".  
"Yeah…it took us a bit to get to have real evidence...but in the end here it is. And there is no room for doubt, the bank account details on these checks are the same reported on the documents for our scholarships. We checked those too".  
"So, he he had already chosen which students would have been arriving here…but why would he do something like this?" wondered Five, glowering at the photocopies like all that mystery was their fault. As an answer, with trembling hands Marben fished a paper envelope from under the pile and gave it to him: inside, a multitude of plastic document holders filled with photocopies of birth certificates, photos and personal documents, slips of notes about families and distant relatives. One for each of the students partaking in the exchange.  
Five browsed the whole stash of papers a couple of times back and forth, analyzing the marks scattered here and there, trying to connect some of them or generally to understand why his father could have wanted this specific group of people to…  
"Oh" he said at some point, sounding mortified; Marben looked up at him, trying to ascertain if the two of them had drawn the same conclusion. "Oh, shit. This…this is so, **so** fucked up!".

Swiftly, Marben caught the chair and placed it behind her boyfriend; Five, indeed, let himself fall untidily on it. She caressed gently his hair, and the boy turned to bury his face in her chest, hugging her waist.  
"I suspect that, based on our family history, your father thinks we have some sort of hidden potentials…and has come up with this plan to bring us here and observe us" the girl said softly, vaguely, not wanting to upset him even more. Five pushed his face down on her clothed bosom.  
"He's obsessed" he mumbled on her. "He wants to find other people like us from the Academy, and train them, to enlarge his project and make an army of Umbrella Kids".  
"But it doesn't make any sense! Come on, everyone knows your story, what the heck should all of that have to do with kids born in other years/months/days and whatever comes to your mind when you think about it? Agreed, it's an absurd story, but absurdity must also have a limit!". Reluctantly, Five unstuck his face from Marben just to look up at her.  
"I don't know, Doll. What I said it's a guess, but knowing my Father it may very well be the truth" he admitted feebly "I think he has already started to observe all of you too, individually. That's why he comes to rehearsals. And if someone catches his eye…I fear he'd want to know for sure if she really has powers. Through testing".  
"You mean medical tests?".  
"I mean psychological torture. Or even physical". Marben gasped, hands going to Five's shoulders to support herself.  
"Is…that how he started to train you as kids?". Five made a face that she didn't like at all.  
"It went rather smoothly for me, to be honest. My spacial jumping was uncontrollable, often self-aborted, and a few times I got lost in the city…but at least it came naturally. For other of my siblings…well, it wasn't so easy". Right then and there, a thought struck Marben with the force of a slap.  
"Klaus!" she wheezed behind the hand that had flown to cover her mouth; Five's eyes became impossibly sad, then he lowered his head and nodded.  
"I have my suspicions about Vanya, too" he admitted, never looking up. "When we were very young…about three or four years old, maybe, she stopped getting trained and was suddenly put to live…I never knew where, exactly. Father, Pogo and Grace told us she was severely ill and needed to be kept isolated for her own good, and for ours too. But over the years I've never been able to stop wondering if instead it wasn't one of my Father's usual schemes to…force her to coax her own power out or…or to punish her for being born normal".  
"Oh my god, Five…". Shocked, Marben enveloped him in a tight embrace, dipping her face in his hair and wanting to never, ever let him go. He too held tight on her, breathing deeply in her scent.  
"How…however frightening this whole story may sound…I'm sure it'll end quickly, and with nothing. You'll see" the girl forced herself to say, caressing her boyfriend's back reassuringly.  
"If…something ever happened to you…" Five whispered from deep down between their bodies, but Marben cut him off immediately.  
"It won't. Don't worry, my love, I'm a perfectly ordinary, uninteresting girl with no special qualities" she said.  
"You're all but ordinary. Or any of those things" Five hissed sharply, lifting his head to look furiously at her from below.  
"As you wish then, darling, but to your father's eyes I am just a musician. And that's no superpower at all" said Marben in a gentle tone, smoothing his hair, not having the heart to tell him that Sir Hargreeves apparently saw it differently, and was already breathing down her neck.

* * *

_A/N: I wanted to include in the chapter a spectacular headcanon I found rummaging the internet (I can't remember who posted it, so I can't give him/her the credit, however...know that it's not my idea!), the one in which if Five suddenly sneezes can't control himself and jumps. ADORABLE._


	30. Chapter 28

25.

The day before the benefit concert dawned freezing and windy, cloudy, an upset sunrise that seemed to have adapted to the sad occasion of the little memorial which was taking place in front of the incinerated remains of the factory destroyed by the fire. In the front row stood the mourning families and the Mayor himself, who had considered appropriate that right behind them, along with firefighters and paramedics, a place of honor had been assigned to the Umbrella Academy.  
On the left, a small crowd of police, friends and curious, a few journalists, and finally the orchestra that would perform at the concert that same evening. Marben didn't know for sure who had deemed their presence necessary, but her suspects fell heavily on Sir Arsegreeves and his favorite lapdog Headmaster Pembroke. It really had been a decision of bad taste: one of the violists, Nell, had lost her brother in the fire, and was now comprehensibly reduced to a sobbing mess. In public.

Sending her most scornful glare to Arsegreeves' and Pembroke's rigid backs, Marben let her gaze linger on the Umbrella Kids, like always lined up without Vanya, strangely in no particular order, impeccable uniforms in place (shorts and skirt despite the glacial wind) and domino masks on their eyes. Like nobody knew what their faces looked like without them on, she acidly thought.  
The Mayor was laying some white flowers in front of the blackened gate when Lear got restless.  
"This has to be a joke, **where the hell is Vanya**?" she growled, under her breath. Marben got instantly bored of her ranting and let her eyes wander, answering automatically.  
"At home, practicing Bach's Bourrée in G Major". Some rows ahed of them, a young man was gently caressing one of Nell's sobs-devastated shoulders; it was a small thing, but Marben felt greatly heartened to see it happen.

A minimal shift of her eyes, however, and her gaze was caught by Sir Hargreeves'.  
Icy fear spread instantly through her veins, to the point that Marben felt herself about to choke; Klaus, head bowed, was muttering something to his father. A slight movement near both of them led the blonde girl to look at Ben's boggled face: Marben could not see his eyes through the mask, but the boy was gaping at her as if she had just revealed the most mysterious of secrets to him. What was the meaning of that look?  
Another shift in her peripheral vision and she found Fulvius, whose red hair attracted the attention like a lighthouse in the middle of the small crowd. Following his little hand's gesture, she lowered her eyes and didn't look up again. When her windpipe stopped feeling like held in an invincible vise, Marben begun to hum along with the crowd as it sang Amazing Grace - of which she did not know the words, and found it somewhat comforting.

.oO°Oo.

On their way back to the School, Diana made a beeline to catch up with her friends; as they reached the courtyard, she finally managed to grab Marben's hand a few meters beyond the main gate.  
"We need to talk" she said with urgency, but Marben swiftly looked down.  
"Like right now? I'm not feeling….".  
"It's about Arsegreeves". That earned her not only Marben's complete attention, but Myery's and Lear's ones too; when all the three girls were looking at her, Diana took a deep breath and then spoke in a low voice.  
"I think I have an idea, we can try to confuse him. But we'll have to play it out as soon as possible, or at this rate he will start to follow us even to the loo!".  
"Confuse him?" muttered Lear, sounding at a loss in turn.  
"Yes, divert some of his attention from Marben" Diana replied without clarifying, if in order to make fun of her friend or out of naivety, it was not clear. Predictably, Lear got annoyed anyway.  
"No, you don't say!".  
"And how, exactly?" Marben intervened, eager to know.  
"Show us: how do you behave when he is there? Do you do something that attracts attention? Is there anything you stop doing when you realize he's around? And if so, does he notice?".

Marben started to answer, but not finding the words she realized that she didn't have the answer in the first place. She then opened her mouth to say the first thing that came to her mind - namely that meeting Hargreeves' gaze caused her to immediately diverted hers - but she straightaway aborted the attempt, because she didn't know if along with that gesture she was accustomed to do something else, unconsciously. And, frustratingly, that applied to all the things she was certain to do when the old weirdo was around.  
"We don't have time, now, class is about to start" she then said to her friends, while together with the other girls they entered their designated classroom; Diana nodded.  
"Then think about it. We'll skip lunch and meet in your room to talk".

.oO°Oo.

"Well? Did you do it?" Diana asked as soon as Marben appeared in the doorway, dragging her into the room and immediately closing the door behind her. Although taken aback, Marben did not fail to look at her friends, who in her absence had made themselves comfortable.  
"Hey, thanks for asking if you could come in?!".  
"What? We knocked!" Lear said innocently.  
"Yeah, for sure".  
"Why does it suddenly bother you that we came into your room while you were away?" Myery intervened, "It's never been a problem before!". Lear turned to look at her with a knowing smile  
"Well, but 'before' she wasn't receiving a boyfriend in her room every night…".  
"Oh, so would you be embarrassed about us knowing?".  
"It's none of your business, thank you!" Marben blurted testily at her cousin "And how the hell do you know, anyway?". Myery looked at her eloquently.  
"Eh, how do we know. That guy can teleport wherever he likes and you think we imagine you two keeping in touch through pigeon post? Come ONNN!".  
"Obviously, the most unlikely thing between the two wouldn't be the teleport" Lear sneakered, giving the red-haired girl a high five.  
"Very funny" Marben replied acidly.  
"Alright, class? Can I please have your attention?". At the harsh sound of Diana's clapping, the girls immediately stopped bickering and focused on her.  
"Oh, everyone pay attention, the teacher questions!" Lear joked, earning a sly smile from Diana.  
"No, today I explain. You get detention, however".  
"WHA…".  
"**Let's talk about how to confuse Arsegreeves**". At last, Lear's humor stepped aside, even if reluctantly. "Marben, you said you thought about how you behave when he's around…".  
"Yes, and it was easier than I thought because I realized it's more or less what I've always done, meeting some stranger's gaze…only that Hargreeves scares me, and therefore I react by being elusive" Marben admitted.  
"Perfect, so…".  
"Wait, Di, can you please explain what you have in mind?".  
"Yes, what do you mean by 'confusing Arsegreeves'?". Diana's blue eyes went from Marben to Lear, while she smiled smartly.  
"Isn't it obvious? Trying to convince him that Marben isn't the only strange one!".  
"Wow, thank you! That was really sweet!".  
"Come on, you know what I meant…". Marben kept looking at her with a deadpan expression, raising only her eyebrows. "Fine, I'll rephrase. Trying to convince him that Marben isn't **the only one acting strange**!".  
"Yes, this way it sounds less racist" conceded Lear. Diana didn't appreciate her comment.  
"Another hour of detention".  
"HANG ON A MINUTE…".  
"I can't, we've got rehearsal in less that thirty minutes and sure as hell that old maniac will be present: we need to finalize our plan and get it started right away!".  
"You mean...you're all going to copy me? You're going to act like me when he is there in order to convince him that we are all crazy…or maybe normal?" Marben asked, making it all sound a little absurd, but feasible.  
"We can at least try, can't we?" Diana sweetly replied, hopefully.  
"Yes…of course we can!" Myery approved, smiling at Diana, who looked heartened by her support.  
"Yeah…yeah, let's try" agreed Marben looking for a feedback from Lear, who nodded. When she had received everyone's consent, Diana smiled and turned to look at Marben again.  
"Now. Tell us how we should do it". 


	31. Chapter 29

_WARNINGS: a little erotic tension between two clumsy teenagers. No red lights, nothing graphic._

_Chapter Soundtrack: watch?v=zFYEYRcjK2g_

* * *

26.

"Tomorrow" sighed heavily Marben, letting herself fall on her bed. "Tomorrow it's the big day. And then IT'S DOOOOOOOONEEEEEEEE!". Five, unawarely folding his shorts, sank his head between his shoulders and squeezed his eyes shut at the sudden noise.  
"Ouch!" he complained, making a show of massaging his own ear. "Marben, dear, it's late! Don't be noisy!". Marben lifted up her head to give him a once-over and then burst out laughing. Five frowned massively and looked down at himself.  
"What's wrong?".  
"Nothing, it's just…seeing you in my dorm, stripped down to your underwear, folding the clothes you've just taken off **and** reprimanding me about being loud at this hour of the night…is all very domestic. And oldish".  
"Be reasonable, Peaches, if someone finds us out because you're rambunctious our little idyll ends here and now" mumbled the boy, struggling with the folding of his shirt, this time around. That all just made Marben laugh more.  
"You even sound like an old man!" she told him in a fit of mirthful giggles. Five then chose to deliberately change the subject.

"So, you're excited at the idea of being finally done with the benefit concert?".  
"Aren't you?".  
"Yes, but…if I have to be completely sincere, there's something concerning it I'm excited about".  
"Like what?" asked Marben, turning to look at him.  
"I get to see you in a fancy dress, and that's definitely a big pro of the situation!" smirked Five, lowering himself on the bed with her; in a matter of seconds, they were entwined like ivy branches.  
"Relax, it'll be dark, modest and the same as every other girl's in the whole orchestra. Nothing special to remember" the blonde girl told him, distractedly caressing his chest. "Will you be wearing something fancy too?".  
"Sure as hell" Five groaned.  
"Oooooh, I can't wait to see it, then!".  
"Not just **any** suit, mind you. My Father wants us to be proper, but above all to never forget where we belong, as the people who see us. So it will be full of Umbrella Academy references".  
"Oh my god, **oh my god**, don't tell me you'll be wearing a kilt!?" Marben got oh so thrilled by the idea that Five could feel her vibrate with excitement; he craned is neck to gave her a perplexed glance.  
"Why…why should we be wearing kilts, babe? Does the Academy seem to you like the place where men wear skirts and people is generally very proud of its own ancestry? We're all adopted, for goodness sake!". Marben humphed and pulled herself upright, straddling him.  
"First, keep calm or you'll end up sleeping on the floor, tonight". Five opened his mouth to protest, but Marben put a hand on it and went on. "Second, kilts **are not** skirts, you ignorant, ignorant clod! They're fascinating, traditional, sexy and manly garments, and it's told that real men wear them with no briefs underneath!". At that point Five's eyes went as wide as saucers, and he whimpered something under Marben's hand. She just smiled devilishly at him.  
"I would **love** to see you in one of those…" she purred, and then leaned to whisper in his ear "And to check if you are man enough to wear it the proper way". A little shift on the mattress, and Marben jumped up with a yelp which immediately transformed into a fit of laughter. "OH, MY! It surely **feels** like you are!". Five took advantage of that moment of surprise to free his face from his girlfriend's grasp.  
"Don't push me, baby" he warned her in a sultry tone that made her bones turn into jelly. Lacking a smart retort, Marben let herself fall again on the mattress, by Five's side.

"I still am sure you'll look delectable in the fine, tailored 'whatever' your father will impose on you. Even if it won't be a kilt".  
"That's probably because you're biased, my dearest" Five giggled fondly, passing a finger on the outline of her cheekbone.  
"No, that's because you're hot. And if any of the girls who will be attending the concert gives you as much as a glance **I swear**…".  
"Aaaaaaw, my little Princess getting all jealous and territorial over me…and we're not even at the concert yet!" cooed the boy, delighted and a little turned on.  
"I'm serious, Five. Heads are gonna fall if some fan, or groupie, or…whatever the likes of you attract makes a move on you".  
"Nobody's gonna make a move on me, and you know why?".  
"Because I'll kill 'em slowly and painfully if they even think of trying?". Marben's bloodcurdling smile left Five completely unfazed.  
"No, because I'm already taken by the loveliest, smartest, hottest, sweetest and generally most sensational girl ever!".  
"Yeah, for sure".  
"Really! And I'll be having eyes only for her, so…" Five smiled candidly "If you see her, could you please tell her not to be jealous?". Marben's eyes went instantly wide, and next thing Five knew she was again on top of him, tucking her head under his jaw and blowing an unexpected raspberry on his neck, which made him squirm.  
"In the name of…Marben, **what** are you doing?".  
"Obviously blowing raspberries on the neck of an old man wearing an ugly vest. And there's yet sooooo much worse that I could do!". Saying so, she promptly raised the hem of his vest and blowed a raspberry right on his belly. Five then started thrashing and laughing wildly, claiming that if Marben kept being so childish he would probably pee himself; that, instead of discouraging the girl, rather spurred her to redouble her efforts; Five then decided to fight back leaving a hickey on the first available part of Marben that he found within range (which earned him a scandalized 'FIVE YOU CAN'T! Everybody's gonna see when I'll be wearing the dress for the concert!'). Neither of them surrendered to the other for quite some time, in their silly, funny, sweet battle of playful love which left them exhausted and even more enamored with each other, when on the verge of sleep they exchanged a kiss light as a feather and then were swallowed by peaceful oblivion with their lips still touching. 

.oO°Oo. 

"I…did not tell you the whole truth".  
"Mmmh?".  
"About the concert".  
"You can…tell me now?".  
"I can't wait for it to pass…because It's been a very stressful month, yes, but mostly for all the sadness that surrounds it too".  
"Sadness?".  
"The dead people, Five. That's why we're doing this blasted benefit concert".  
"Oh, shit, right. Sorry, love, it's not even dawn and…".  
"You're tired, I understand. Sorry. But I wanted you to know why I'm eager to be done with it, even if I love playing my violin and it's going to be a great opportunity".  
"I'm sorry you'll always associate the memory of your first time as First Chair with the fire's casualties…".  
"I'll be okay. I'm just…feeling sad after yesterday morning's memorial, I guess. And restless at the idea of having to deal with your father too. Sorry, but he gives me the chills".  
"Of course…don't think about it, if it makes you feel anxious. Tell me something about you that I don't know yet, rather".  
"…uhm…".  
"Whatever comes to your mind, my love, it's not important what you choose. Just let go of all the thoughts that make you upset".  
"Don't you wanna go back to sleep?".  
"No, let's talk. Sleep is overrated, and I never tire of talking with you".  
"I…once I painted my grandma's hens green. With my cousin's help".  
"YOU WHAT?".

* * *

_A/N: Thumbs up for the green hens! I wonder if they made green-streaked eggs...who knows!_

_How are you? All well, I hope. Stay strong, we can't give up!_

_Thanks for your support, beautiful people! Love you all!_


	32. Chapter 30 (I)

27 (I).

"Mister Hargreeves? Mister Hargreeves!".  
Camera flashes illuminated the private entrance of the Theatre like small lightnings, accompanied by loud clicks that almost disturbed the rapid fire-exchange of questions and answers between press and interviewees.  
"Was it really an idea of yours, to set up a benefit concert and raise funds for the families of the victims?" asked a woman from the press, pointing her microphone toward the monocled man and his formation of impeccably dressed kids.  
"Of course! Me and other gentlemen of the city saw fit to organize this event to collect offers for the destitute, with the help of the best young artists this outstanding school can provide!".  
"Many controversies have been made about it" countered another journalist "There are those who say that the families of the victims don't need compensation but rather that the tragedy never happened in the first place. What would you…".  
"I understand the anguish of those families, my own sons and daughter faced that inferno, trying to save the workers. I personally ran the risk of having to bury my beloved family".  
"How could it be the same, Sir?!" asked a woman, scandalized, and after giving her a chilling look Hargreeves instantly stopped paying her attention, turning his gaze on someone else.  
"Are the Umbrella Kids alright, now, Sir?" asked a young woman, to then directly address the teens. "Are you alright, Kids?". The Kids smiled their most dazzling smiles and straightened their backs, some nodding at her but not daring to answer. They knew better.  
"They're perfectly fine, as you all can see" their father interposed himself between them and the interviewer, gesturing to his offspring lined up behind him with pride and self-complacency. "Resilient and strong, ready to defend the city and the world from any new danger may arise!".  
"They couldn't save the seven workers of the factory, though" said unexpectedly a woman who was no longer holding up her microphone, embittered.

Instantly, the crowd of journalists around her went quiet. They were probably all waiting to see what Sir Hargreeves would say. And they didn't have to wait long: the distinguished, stern man turned completely toward the woman who had publicly challenged him and exhaled loudly, like he was finally able to take off his shoulders some unbearable burden.  
"My Kids, or me for what matters, cannot oppose to death" he said with far less pomp than his usual: he suddenly looked tormented by the urgency to prove his point. The Kids, further back, looked ashen and uneasy, clearly still feeling the guilt very strongly.  
"Those men were already dying when my sons and daughter found them, and all they could do was to offer some comfort and keep them company until the end, at the cost of their own safety. In all regards, they did everything possible and even the impossible for those men. As ascertained by the police and what they managed to report from the statements of the firefighters and from the ruins".  
A slight hum raised then from the group of journalists; the woman who had pointed out the Academy's failure lowered her gaze, and from the haunch of her shoulders it became evident that she had not intended to cause problems, just to make sure that no speculations had been made about the deaths of innocents.§  
"That's what the Academy was founded for, after all, uh?" she asked. "'Ut Malum Pluvia', when the evil rains" she quoted and translated the Academy's motto. "Whatever kind of evil it may be, even a horrible, wrongful and lonely death".  
"Yes" answered firmly Sir Hargreeves, "Whatever kind of evil it may be". And then making some hasty excuses, he was imperiously ushering his sons and daughter in the Theatre, and the time for press and flashlights was over.

.oO°Oo.

"Wow, we all really do look the same!". At Myery's comment, four different pair of eyes drifted down to look at four identical gowns.  
"Speak for yourself, I don't look like a lampshade" muttered Diana, slightly pale while running a hand up and down one of her thighs to watch the blue velvet change its shade. Myery's smile looked like a grimace.  
"At least they let our arms free…" considered Lear, looking at her naked arms like she really was impressed by them. "Playing two hours with long sleeves would have been a feat, even without the suffocating heat from the lights!".  
"You all look heavenly, dears!" chirped the theatre course's seamstress, passing by; the girls falsely smiled at her, and then insulted her under their breaths as soon as she went away.  
"Yeah, my arse!".  
"We look like Dementors, with these dark cloaks on. Does she think Dementors look cute?".  
"I don't know, let's set up a date for her with one of them…".  
"A date? For who?" asked the seamstress, passing like a whirlwind again. Lear made to say something - probably the truth -, but Myery promptly slapped a hand on her mouth.  
"A friend! It's a secret!" she said hastily, and then gave her back to the over-enthusiastic woman to shoo her away. "Hey dimwits, now **focu**s!" the red-haired girl snapped her fingers in front of her friends to gain their complete attention.  
"On what?" spat Lear testily.  
"Where's Marben?".  
"What do you mean, she's ri…". Turning on her side, Lear faced the void.  
"She **was** right there. A moment ago" retorted Diana, worriedly. But before they even had the readiness to start looking for their friend, the seamstress's voice made its way through the chattering of the dressing rooms and reached their ears.  
"…look unwell. Are you nervous, dear?".

Seated in a secluded corner, looking like a caged animal, Marben tormented her hands under the scrutiny of the seamstress. She nodded looking nervously around, but didn't utter a word otherwise.  
"Is your dress bothering you? I could give it a little fix, if you want…".  
"No, it's not…" the blonde girl bit her lips exhaling loudly, clearly restraining herself. "I just…need a moment".  
"It's alright, Miss Pittman, we got this" blandished Myery coming to the rescue of her trembling cousin; the seamstress looked dumbfounded, but the red-haired girl didn't acknowledge it. "My cousin's always jumpy before an exhibition. She just needs not to think about her responsibility for a few minutes".  
"Are you sure she's okay? You too, dears, you all look a bit…pale, worn…" said Miss Pittman letting her eyes travel to each of the four girls' faces, in a worried tone; she extended a hand toward Lear's cheek, but the girl promptly grasped it into hers and patted it.  
"I'm afraid it's just stress and a severe case of British complexion, dear Miss" the girl told the seamstress with a condescending smile. "Oh, I think I heard Sylvia having some problems with her dress' zip…like…kinda ripping it…". In the bat of an eyelash, Miss Pittman went from worried to outraged, and then with one last look at the four girls, was gone.

"Oh, thank god!" exhaled Lear, and even Diana let out a sigh of relief. Myery, instead, immediately crouched in front of Marben, searching for her eyes.  
"Hey…hey, look at me. It's not for the concert, isn't it?". Marben's eyes were two pools of fear and repulsion when they met her cousin's.  
"It's Arsegreeves". All at once, the other three girls became perturbed too. "That monster is sniffing at us like a bloodhound, he still doesn't know what he's looking for, but he' knows he's close…and if before he was only spying on me, now he also spies on you, and it's all my fault, you got in the way to help me!".  
"Dear…" whispered Myery; on the background, Lear's shoulders sagged, while Diana leaned forward to caress Marben's cold cheek.  
"Whatever I do he's always watching, I know. He's everywhere. Five told me his father experiments on them as if they were lab rats, and now I've got to go on that fucking stage and be near to him, even shake his hand! What if I do something, **anything**, and he decides I'm the first of his next class of victims? What if I put all of you in danger?".  
Marben's voice was getting loud, even if choked, and she looked on the verge of a panic attack; although the other girls were scared too by the imposing, menacing figure of the Monocle, they hastened to reassure her.  
"Hey, Marben…look, we're gonna be okay" said Lear, crouching next to Myery and grasping one of Marben's hands. "And you won't be alone, on the stage".  
"Yes, Lear's right, he's not going to kidnap you in front of everyone…or whatever. We won't let him! Smile innocently and shake his hand without looking at him, at worst he'll think you're silly" added Diana, with what she hoped was a comforting smile. Marben then lowered her eyes to her lap, where all their hands were reunited, and a tear fell from one of her clear eyes.  
"You better stay safe" she croaked "because I swore to Five his father wasn't going to find me interesting in the slightest, and now that things have taken this nasty turn…I can't loose him".  
"Does he know what his father is up to?".  
"He knows Arsegreeves is keeping an eye on us, but I didn't have the heart to tell him that the madman is chasing **me**. You should have seen him when I showed him the photocopies and he sensed why his father really wanted us in the exchange. I have never seen him so heartbroken".  
Diana, Lear and Myery exchanged a few quick glances. Then Myery looked back to her cousin.  
"Don't panic, 'kay?". Marben nodded, already looking slightly better. "And when the monster comes, just remember what your Dad does when he's in no mood to be civil and yet he has to".  
Something crossed Marben's face, at the mention of her dear Dad, and just a moment later she was displaying a half smirk, her eyes lit of a new, wicked light. 

* * *

_A/N: Will Hargreeves ever stop being disturbing?_

_This will be another very long chapter (four parts!). Friday will be the turn of the (in)famous benefit concert! _

_Aren't you a little curious to know what Marben's dad does when he doesn't want to be appropriate? :)_


	33. Chapter 30 (II)

_The song the orchestra plays as an 'Overture' is Opus 3 no 6 in A minor, by Antonio Lucio Vivaldi. the second one, always by Vivaldi and the real soundtrack for this chapter, is called La Follia: watch?v=7v8zxoEoA_Q_

* * *

27 (II).

Standing calm and composed in front of his seat in the stalls was proving to be pure torture for Five: he and his siblings had to play the part of the trophy sons and daughter while their Father shook hands, greeted important people, generally showed them off to the incoming crowd presenting the Umbrella Kids like the solution to every single problem which have ever existed; Allison was **adoring** it, basking in every little sign of attention from anyone even if with a sprinkle of frustration, since everyone was calling her Rumor, not by her given name. His other brothers were faring as their usual, Luther with his handshakes and general appearance of the ideal superhero, Klaus winking at some youngsters and attempting not to show too much the anguish the ghosts that probably were haunting him in that same moment caused him, Diego strenuously trying to make a better impression than Luther and finally Ben, nodding to strangers, hands crossed behind his stiff back and just a hint of a nervous smile on his lips. That he didn't love celebrity had never been a mystery to anyone, but inexplicably he had become silent, reserved, even wary as of late.  
Five spared a thought for Vanya too, his secluded sister that the entire world didn't know existed, guessing she would have looked beautiful in a dress of her choosing (like the one which have been granted to Allison), and enchanted by the magic of the Theatre, ecstatic to see her new idol Marben play on the stage and maybe daydreaming to become like her, one day, when majority would have rendered her choices indisputable.  
As for himself, Five had only one thing in mind: lay his eyes on his girl and watch her play all night long. He was shaking strangers' hands, offering two-finger salutes to the cameras and smirking here and there looking the part like his siblings, but his mind was completely elsewhere.  
And finally, **finally** the moment to stop the inane small talk and sit down came, the lights of the Theatre dimmed down and in a gradually waning murmur the wealthy audience his Father had gathered fell silent. But instead of his desired vision, Five got the Headmaster. It made him cranky to no end.

"Good evening everyone" said Mister Pembroke in his microphone, and Five groaned aloud, leaving his thoughts free to wander; not even the murderous look Sir Hargreeves threw his way convinced him to behave, engrossed as he was in thinking of his girlfriend and being inpatient to see her again, even if from afar. He got himself so hyped up with thoughts of Marben that he didn't even notice Pembroke had finished his speech until everyone in the stalls started applauding enthusiastically: then he felt like falling out of a trance and automatically joined the applause, only to stop mere seconds later when the light went completely off and then turned on again, to show the curtain raised and an orchestra of strings and only one harpsichord peculiarly arrayed onstage.  
'Shit, she's been there all the time!' he thought shifting on the edge of his sit and applauding with enthusiasm along with all the Theatre, this time. An old man with thick and stringy gray hair made his appearance from somewhere behind the scenes, bowed before the public and then turned his back on it, as if done with paying them attention for the evening. The man lifted his arms and the audience fell silent so swiftly it felt surreal; the musicians, instead, lifted their instruments in perfect coordination. And from them on, no matter how frantically Five looked between the rows of violinists to find his favorite one, the music was the absolute protagonist of the moment.

It didn't take long, however for Marben to clearly show up. She was First Chair, after all, and so she was seated at the tip of the right wing, directly near the Conductor, eyes glued to the man's movements and fingers flying on the violin's fingerboard in her first solo. The ever present energy and passion when she played made Five smile and breathe in deeply, like he really was free to do it only when he was in the presence of her passionate spirit. Now that he finally knew where exactly Marben was and that she was doing what she was born to do, he could relax and be happy, watch raptly. The music went on virtuously and solemn, every new solo getting more intricate than the latest, Marben proving to be an artist each time; before Five could tell, the second movement took over the first one, slow, melancholic and played only by strings, the first violin as the main voice and the others as a soothing accompaniment. Five could feel the vibe around himself change alongside with his mood: suddenly it was like in the Theatre everyone was broody, pensive, holding on an unnamed, feeble hope. And then the final movement caught them all by surprise, snatching them out of their beautifully sad dream with a pressing rhythm and a lively melody, Marben's fingers working quicker and more daring by the minute, the other strings answering with cadenced, stern counterpoints. Like a fight between propriety and fantasy.

It was complete darkness again, once the main voice and the orchestra had found a deal to play the same theme in their own way and ended the _Concerto_. People around Five started applauding fervently, and when the lights turned on again not a single musician was in sight, all of them hidden behind the lowered curtain. Five too applauded, but now that Marben wasn't in sight anymore his attention wandered between the stalls: his Father's rich affluence was laving delighted comments on his girlfriend - which made him enormously proud and even preen a little - and his siblings looked surprised and awed by how the evening had turned out.  
"Hey, man!" Klaus called him from his seat, never rising his eyes from the joint he was rolling "Your cutieboo, there, really is an awesome possum!".  
"He means Marben is totally rocking it" translated Ben, seated between the two and having taken pity of Five's confused and a little contemptuous expression; Five frowned.  
"Yes, she is. But thanks" he said to both his brothers, and then, to Klaus "And put that away, unless you're gonna sold it to someone and devolve the profit to the cause!". As the lights went down again, the sound of Klaus' sputtering could be heard from whole rows of distance.

In the sudden and blinding light roused on the stage, this time, only a handful of musicians made their appearance: Marben and her cousin Myery, each holding a violin, a blonde girl - who Five strongly suspected being the girl currently dating Vanya - seated on a chair and bolstering a cello, another blonde girl with short and artfully disheveled hair seated in front of the harpsichord, and at last, surprisingly, the Conductor, sporting an ancient-looking sort of guitar. In the respectful and even a bit astonished silence of the audience, the old man lifted his head in a deliberate nod and when he lowered it, the _sonata_ began. And again, it was a vortex of such Carthusian musicality that Five couldn't find the right words to describe it in his mind, but tried nonetheless. In the beginning the music had been slow and lazy, almost sounding bored, but in the bat of an eyelash had become incisive and extremely rhythmic, and after that an amalgamation of virtuosities from all the instruments together. The _sonata_ was a string of variations on a single theme, played in _crescendo_ or _diminuendo_, jesting with tonalities and changing tempo, agogic accents, generally sounding like a continuous improvisation but too cohesive among the musicians to really be so. Once again, Marben was leading with the main voice - to which Myery's entwined artfully - and the others adapted diligently, the Conductor for now downgraded to a simple supervisor. A couple of times Five thought the exhibition had ended, for the quintet paused for a long moment each, just to resume the first time with a masterly _crescendo_ that evolved in a variation written specifically for the harpsichord, and the second by a bold experiment involving hands pressing on the fingerboards of the strings and bows going up and down furiously, which made the stings give the rhythm with a gritting of horsehair on thin metal while the melody was left to be played in the background by the ancient guitar.  
From his seat, Five could see they were enjoying themselves, playing this masterpiece of frantic music. Marben especially was radiant, she kept smiling uninterruptedly, ant the impish smile she and her cousin exchanged right before starting to produce every gritting sound a violin was capable of, had had Five's heart bursting with joy. His love was loving it, and so was he.  
The _sonata_ ended as fast as it had been enthralling: one moment the musicians onstage were playing, and the next darkness had fallen. This time, the audience went berserk, and Five did too.

* * *

_A/N: What can I say? THANKS TO YOU ALL!_

_I'm so grateful to you, it is an immense gift in this dark time in which I'm not allowed to see my family or friends...you're keeping me company. I love you all. So please, keep staying safe, ok?_

_PS: Have a great Worker's Day (or May Day, whatever you're used to call it)! Celebrate the contribution you are bringing to the society and the world, be you doctors, housewives, lawyers, heads of states or mothers, dads, brothers and sisters, grandparents, uncles or aunts, children. You are all precious._


	34. Chapter 30 (III)

_WARNINGS: a little bit of randy teenage lovers, a little bit of bickering and irony, a little bit of sadness and reference to tragic events. Nothing graphic, but I wanted you to know._

* * *

27 (III).

"Oh my god, you're a vision…" breathed Five in awe when Marben finally reached him through the sea of chit-chatting people; she didn't say anything, though, just grabbed him by a hand and dragged him away, looking around to detect prying eyes to avoid. When they at last reached a secluded corner of the private entrance of the Theatre, the girl spared a last look to their surroundings and then, deeming them secure, threw her arms around her boyfriend's neck, pulling him into a passionate and urgent kiss which stole both their breaths away.

"Finally…" panted Marben when she let Five go, catching some breath, "**Finally **it's over!". Five smiled at her, glad that she was at last feeling relieved from all the unpleasant pressures the concert had encumbered her with.  
"It is. And as I was trying to say before you kidnapped me…" he said on his girlfriend's lips, holding her tightly, "You're beyond gorgeous". He really meant that, and wanted to remember her long, blue velvet dress and her softly gathered ringlets for the rest of his life.  
Marben pecked him languidly and pulled back.  
"You too, my love. Sorry, I jumped you without even saying hello" she murmured softly, and had on her face the tender smile with which she always woke up after a night spent in Five's arms, and opening her eyes he was the first thing she saw. It was such a beautiful and intimate sight that Five felt himself melt; he raised a hand to lovingly stroke her cheek.  
"You can tell it now, if it's of such great importance" the boy huffed a laugh. "I **definitely** preferred the kiss, though".  
The two giggled together, leaning their foreheads against one another, and for a moment more conceded themselves the luxury of pretending to be alone, and free to simply love each other. Sadly, however, it was brief.

"Beware, lovebirds, there are a lot of minors or old Peeping Toms nearby!" drawled Klaus, nonchalantly sweeping past them. Marben ignored him in favor of nestling her face in the crook of her boyfriend's neck, Five instead followed his wayward brother with his gaze.  
"Where are you going, dimwit?". Klaus whirled on himself in something akin to a pirouette and plainly showed them a fat joint hanging from his big smile and an antique looking lighter in his hand. Five rolled his eyes.  
"Oh, great…are you seriously still faffing about with that? And is that Father's linchpin?".  
"**Of course** I'm still 'faffing about with it', are you done being pedantic? And by the way, this precious old linchpin it's gonna be mine, one day, when the old man will snuff it, so basically I'm not stealing it, just using something which is mine by legitimate succession". Marben couldn't help a snicker hearing that, which made Five snort and Klaus smile.  
"Want some, Marben?" the taller boy asked, waving the still unlit joint in her direction. The girl resurfaced from her hiding place in Five's neck to politely refuse.  
"Thanks, Klaus, but I've already been caught snogging an Umbrella Kid, so I've exceeded my level of forbidden for tonight!". Klaus moued.  
"Oh, **come one**, you two, just let yourself go a little…".  
"Klaus, fuck off" said Five dryly, tightening his grip around Marben's waist, and so, huffing in distaste Klaus turned around and went straight for the doors.  
"A real awesome possum, indeed!" he yelled as a conclusion, and then was out of the Theatre.  
"What?" mumbled Marben, confused.  
"You, love" answered Five, finally tearing his eyes from the doors to look down at his girlfriend, his eyes getting soft. "He was talking about you, and being wrong as always: you've not been simply great, on that stage. You've ben **divine**".

.oO°Oo.

Marben and Five had agreed not to show themselves together in public (not to let Sir Hargreeves understand they were together, mainly, but in secret Marben had agreed to it also because she didn't want Five to know his father was spying on her). So going back to the crowd was awful. Feeling Five's warm, dear hand slip out of hers when they reached the Theatre threw Marben in a visceral distress in equal parts due to having to avoid her beloved for who knew how long more and to know that that absurd situation burdened him too.

Headmaster Pembroke became her shadow as soon as the wealthy auditors began to converge on her, thrilled by the opportunity of meeting the First Chair: between a handshake to a rich banker who asked her if her violin was a Stradivarius and another one to a lady with a glittering evening dress who told her she was very pretty as well as talented, Marben entertained herself throwing a few fleeting glances at Five. He really had looks to die for, that night. He always had it, she thought, but without the whimsical uniform of the Academy, wearing a real tailcoat and a white bowtie, Five gave the impression of being much older than his age, and with the tuft swept backwards and his usual lopsided smile emanated the charm of an Old Hollywood actor. All Marben wanted was to be near him, to hold his hand and enjoy his company without the bulky figure of Sir Arsegreeves dulling it. She wanted to go back to spending the evenings with him carefree, and instead she found herself trapped in a sea of rich people who pampered her as if she had been some exotic and rare animal, with Headmaster Pembroke showing her off with the attitude of the proud mentor. An idea struck her with the force of a slap, at that point: they were treating her like something cute and talented to manipulate to their liking the same way the Umbrella Kids had been treated by their 'father' all their lives. She hated it instantly.

"Stop being morose, dumpling! The Girls are taking you to visit your beau!" someone cheerfully whispered in her ear, and turning abruptly, Marben found herself staring straight into Diana's blue eyes.  
"Wha'?" she drawled, but before she could say anything else, her lifelong friend had discreetly pulled her out of the circle of wealthy magnates and benefactors - as well of Headmaster Pembroke's avid grasp - and was now walking them straight to where the Umbrella Kids stood.  
"NO!" Marben whimpered in horror, trying to wriggle free. "Diana, I can't, you know! If their father…".  
"Relax, dear, we're coming with you" told her Myery, joining them; one moment later Lear was there too, with a combative glint in her eyes.  
"We're going to play the part of the fans who finally get to meet their idols, nobody should suspect anything this way" explained Diana, still half dragging Marben toward their targets.  
"And this time one of them will explain why Vanya's never out of that fucking Academy of theirs!".  
Meanwhile, the Umbrella Kids had noticed them and turned to look their way, acting like they didn't know what to do; Marben wondered if Five had told his siblings to stay away from them, or about what they had discovered on Sir Arsegreeves.  
"Hello, folks!" chirped Diana when at last the two little groups met. "Forgive us for using you as an excuse to escape those ravenous wolves over there, but we could no longer bear to hear them blather!".  
"Indeed, a lot of chit-chat and little spirit of charity, I fear" smiled Myery, a bright but disdainful smile.  
"Oh, don't worry, those like my Father use checks as spare change" Five readily spoke to break the ice on behalf of his family. "At the end of the evening the donations will be exorbitant". Diana threw her arms in the air.  
"Yeeeeees, that's the spirit, awfully rich people!". That snatched a snicker from Allison, which until then had been silent and a bit standoffish; she looked beautiful and sophisticated in her black, strapless dress and unexpectedly straight and coiffed hair, and she perfectly knew.  
"So sorry to interrupt, but would someone of you deign to explain why Vanya never takes part in your public outings?". Lear barged in the precarious conversation with the force of a charging rhinoceros, then, and several things happened at once: Myery rolled her eyes, Diana and Klaus turned their heads at the same time and in the same way - preparing to enjoy a little bit of drama - Luther put himself in front of Allison and Marben grabbed impulsively Five's hand, seeking reassurance.  
"He-hey, how do you know about Vanya?" asked Diego reaching for his knives, while Myery brought a hand to her forehead.  
"I **really** didn't need this other headache…".  
"They know each other because Vanya's taking violin lessons from me" intervened Marben. "Seriously, how the fuck have I even been able to think that this talking among ourselves could have been a good idea it's the biggest mystery after crop circles!" she blurted then, pissed; Five looked her way fondly, caressing her knuckles with his thumb.  
"I was going to put all the blame on us, but then your friend came in all red-faced and started to be unpleasant…".  
"Don't mess with me, chicken legs!" Lear ranted at him. "I'm serious: I wanna know where's Vanya!".  
"Wait, is Vanya taking private le-ssons?" Diego muttered to Klaus.  
"At home!" answered Allison hurriedly, sidestepping Luther to come forward.  
"'Chicken legs'?".  
"**At home**?" repeated Lear, incredulous. Allison nodded eagerly, looking like she thought she owed Lear an apology.  
"**Chicken legs**?".  
"There are lots of things in life that will never get explained. For instance, why do men have crooked legs" proclaimed Marben, bypassing all matters and suddenly attracting everyone's attention. Five rushed to bow his head to check. "Yes babe, yours are crooked too, and skinny. Hence Lear's insult".  
"Well, then someone should really tell her she's **a horrendous hag and**…".  
"**Five**. Please". Marben looked exhausted, all of a sudden everybody could see it, so Five and Lear shut their mouths.  
"Well, it seems clear to me that we have some issues to resolve…but if avoiding to cause a scene stays the most important thing, we'd better postpone to another time" sighed Myery after a moment of embarrassed silence that felt endless.  
"Right, it's better if we leave. I just need to say a few words to Allison". The girl in question looked confused and even a bit alarmed that Marben wanted to talk to her in private; however, she didn't flinch, and answered to Luther's worried hand on her shoulder with a firm nod, before all the others got dispersed in the crowd again.

Standing in front of each other, Marben in simple blue velvet while Allison with her great celebrity-like outfit, their roles almost looked reversed from the ones of their first meeting. This time, however, neither of them appeared sloppy: Marben wore her simple dress - identical to those of the other musicians - with elegance and modesty, Allison proudly sported her ample one, suitable perhaps for a grown-up woman rather than her, but beautiful nonetheless. In that moment, they could not have been more different from each other, and yet they were united by being two young women still searching for their own identity. Marben noticed it, and forced herself to be humbled by their connection, rather than get irked.  
"So?". Allison tried to act defiant, but it was obvious she feared the confrontation; Marben decided to take care of the matter as quickly as possible.  
"Considering that this soirée is a memorial for people who sadly are no longer among us...I wanted to thank you for having helped them to depart without suffering. Five told me what you did, and it was very merciful of you". Allison's shoulders sagged then, and her eyes filled with an emotion so raw that she felt compelled to hide it from Marben, lowering her gaze.  
"I…I came to know that one of the victims had a younger sister in your same class". Marben thought about poor Nell and pretended not to notice Allison's broken voice. "Will she be okay?".  
"She will never be the same, but…one day she'll manage to breathe again, I hope. And to heal too, with time". Allison nodded. "What I wanted to say is that…this sad moment doesn't belong to me and it's not my intention to act as if it were, but I am sure that if Nell knew...she would tell you what I said". Allison looked up at her, stricken.  
"Thanks" she said feebly.  
"No. Thank **you**, Allison. They would all tell you, if they had the chance. I…I know". And with that, Marben left.

* * *

_A/N: Sadly, I won't be able to post the last part of this chapter on Friday: unfortunately, I'll be working an additional 12-hour shift. But I'll make it up to you ASAP, promised! ;) _

_Wow, visualizations keep skyrocketing! THANK YOU!_


	35. Chapter 30 (IV)

_Chapter Soundtrack: watch?v=9Cr_apcZkpY_

* * *

27 (IV).

"No, wait!". Marben stopped trying to grasp the zipper tab, jolting when Five suddenly materialized in her dorm. Despite keeping his hand up, trying to prevent his strangely jumpy girlfriend from undressing, the boy's eyes were soft. "I…I'd like to look at you in that dress one last time. You really are marvelous, tonight". Marben's face slackened in a mixture of disbelief and tenderness.  
"You truly think it, Five?".  
"You're more beautiful than Euler's identity" said the boy with an incredulous little laugh; he leisurely walked across the room, taking his time to watch her, etching exactly how she looked in his memory forever.  
"Don't play smart-arse with me, you tosser, I can't possibly compete with the mathematical version of Grace Kelly!" Marben told him in a playful voice. Five ignored her and took her hand, lifting it gently to invite her to spin around; she dubiously acquiesced, physically feeling his open admiration like a warm caress swept across her body.  
"You're the loveliest thing I've ever laid my eyes upon" the boy murmured softly when they were face to face again, raising a hand to gently pull some hair away from her face and then stroke her soft cheek. "And I want to take you out on a date".  
"You mean…like **now**?". Marben looked at him like he had just sprouted another head.  
"Yeah, why not?".  
"You're right, since it's almost one o'clock in the morning why don't we stay up until three or four to go out on a date? After all dawn's hours away, we have all the time in the world!". Sensing skepticism, Five resorted to something he knew the girl couldn't resist.  
"Please, Princess. Indulge me". And immediately Marben's shoulders relaxed, her eyes softened and in a matter of seconds her attitude was completely different.  
"Five, dear…I'd love to, but…".  
"You're knackered, I know" the boy interrupted, gently pulling her to the window by a hand. "We'll only be gone for an hour. I promise. And after that I'll be all yours for the whole night".  
Marben wavered a moment more, looking around herself, at the dorm room she had wished to shut herself in since the moment she had begun to get ready for the soirée; couldn't she forgo it for a single hour more?  
Hesitantly, the girl turned to her boyfriend.  
"Won't it be cold, outside?". With a dazzling smile Five tore his fancy tailcoat from himself and wrapped it around Marben's shoulders, then hugged her close and jumped.

They landed sitting on something soft, with a crackle and a little squeal from Marben. Someone else shrieked too, and with a start the two teens saw a sleepy waitress dressed in pink shoot up from a counter and try to compose herself.  
"Uhm…go…good evening" the young woman slurred, passing the back of a hand on her mouth with dismayed sleepiness; Marben was a bit bewildered by the idea of the waitress sleeping - **and drooling** \- on the countertop, so she kept her mouth shut and let Five do the talking, while she stared fixedly down to detect any traces of saliva.  
"Hi…Agnes" said the boy, tilting his head to read the waitress' name directly from her embroidered uniform "Could you please serve us two raspberry jelly donuts, a cup of black coffee and…what would you like to drink, honey?".  
"Some milk, please" answered Marben, forcing herself to stop looking for bacteria on the counter. The young woman straightened her apron, nodding, and without loosing her sleepy demeanor turned to get their orders.  
"Thank goodness she's too vacant to complain about the coffee I asked for!" blowed Five with eyes wide as saucers; Marbed laughed softly.  
"Do you know her?".  
"Not really, I think she's new. The other waitresses never take me seriously when I order coffee, but she didn't flinch. That's why I'm incredulous".

Throwing a look around with a giggle, Marben guessed she had ended in what she supposed was a typical American cafe: stools on a grey checkered linoleum floor, a boomerang-shaped worktop in front of an equally boomerang-shaped station with counter displays stuffed with donuts and other sweets, bulbous ceiling lights and a multitude of little square tables and chairs, all in red and yellow. In a flash, two steamy cups and as many donuts on little plates were shoved under their noses.  
"Thanks" the two teens said simultaneously, and then snickered at each other while the waitress ignored them to disappear in the back; Five grabbed his cup of coffee and gently pushed one of the small plates towards Marben. She smiled tenderly at him, even if he had ordered for her without asking, even if she wasn't really in the mood for doughnuts at past one in the morning. Even if being in a deserted cafe late at night hardly counted as a real date. She sensed Five knew she had been fasting all day, and that he felt the need to pamper her with something he considered special. So she took the proffered donut and bit into it with cautious curiosity.  
"Did I get you a good one?" eagerly asked the boy.  
"Mmmmh" groaned Marben as an answer, closing her eyes and chewing slowly the soft morsel of donut, as if wanting to memorize its taste.  
"Yeeeeeees" said Five in a sultry tone: Marben's eyes shot open to see her boyfriend looking at her like she was the sweet to be devoured whole, and not the donut. She burst out laughing and smacked him on an arm.  
"You're such a pervy dumbass!".  
"But a cute one, you once told me" slyly countered Five.  
"Oh, did I?".  
"You did".  
"Must be the truth, then. Anyway, why do our dates always include some food? And why it's always sweets, above all?" asked the girl, unaware of her icing sugar smeared nose; the boy snorted a laugh and shook his head fondly.  
"Because we're shameless gluttons, the both of us, with an exceptional taste for special things". Marben stopped mid-bite, and with her teeth suspended over the donut threw her boyfriend a sideway glance: Five gave her his best cocky smirk and then she knew, he was suggesting she had been lucky to have gotten a hold on him, but also implying the he'd been lucky with her too. It was her turn to shake her head fondly.

Five took a couple of sips from his cup enjoying the quiet after the concert and the clamor of the crowd, but mostly to be sharing it with his dearest love. The donut shop felt homey, in its familiar and warm vibe, and it was making him feel relaxed as if he had been in the privacy of Marben's dorm room.  
"What you did at the concert…to avoid shaking my Father's hand…" he said at some point, cautiously; when Marben looked back at him out of the corner of her eye with an impish look on her face, he knew he could talk freely. "Jesus, that was savage! I didn't see it coming!".  
"You liked it?" asked the girl, laughing heartily. Five joined her, recalling how she had faked a couple of incredibly plausible sneezes just as his father had approached her on the stage: Hargreeves had looked terribly irritated, when a sheepish Marben had refrained at the very last moment from extending to him the hand she had used to cover her mouth and instead had offered the top of her bow as a substitute. The outraged Sir had nevertheless pinched with two fingers and awkwardly shaken it, but his gaze had been raging as he looked at her.  
"I absolutely **loved** it!" the boy stated enthusiastically and even a bit awed. Marben smiled adoringly at him.  
"It's a little trick I stole from my Dad. But he never holds back from sticking out the hand on which he sneezes!".  
They both laughed so loud at that point that the waitress peeked out from the back to check if everything was alright; they ignored her and after a bit she went back to whatever she was doing.  
"Sorry, it was terribly rude of me" admitted Marben when she'd sobered up a bit "But I can't just…stand him. He gives me the creeps". In a moment, the mirthful atmosphere dissipated, and even the shop felt a little bit colder. Five automatically reached out to grab Marben's hand and she clutched his one.  
"He's vile, deceitful, cruel. I don't want to get near your father ever again. And just the idea of shaking hands with him has been repulsive since Mister Kai elected me First Chair".  
"I suspected so. Something's been off with you since…since you discovered my Father's meddling in your school's management". Marben looked down, and eventually nodded.  
"I'm sorry, Dimple, but after you told me what he used to…to do to you guys I...started to fear him. And being forced to suffer his presence more and more didn't help".  
Five didn't need to hear anything more. He stood from his stool and wrapped Marben in the tightest hug he dared to give her without fearing of hurting her.  
"Let's not talk about him anymore, yeah?" he said, breathing the sweet scent of her hair. "Let's just be me and you. I won't let him even breathe in your direction from now on". Marben's slender arms came up to wrap around his waist and hold, and against his chest, her head bobbed up and down in assent.  
They ended up calling for Agnes and asking her to wrap the donut that Five hadn't even touched; Five paid the bill, then grabbed the wrapping, girded Marben's waist and jumped. When Agnes turned around with his change and the receipt, the shop was empty. 

* * *

_A/N: __... and against all odds, surprise! I almost did the impossible not to miss the Friday update. Maybe you don't give a damn, but...I'm happy to have done it :) writing is what makes me happiest in the world!_


	36. Chapter 31

-  
"I'm so proud of you, my love, so fucking proud! You've been extraordinary on that stage, the whole audience was in your hand, and you made them - us - **feel** what you were playing!".  
"I'm glad. Is what a musician should always aim for".  
"You made love music…".  
"Oh my, and what now? Should I get jealous?".  
"Now, don't be silly, Doll! And about that, did you notice not even a girl approached me all evening?".  
"I only noticed some were looking at you, and for that it will be my personal concern to find out where they live...or which room of this dorm they sleep in".  
"Do you listen to me or not? I wouldn't look at anyone else…".  
"I know, Dimple, I trust you. But I'll still have their heads pinned on my wall. They would look good above the fireplace of my secret, creepy mansion in the woods of Northumberland…".  
"…and you once had the guts to say my family is batshit crazy. Jeez, you're batshit crazy too!".  
"That's why you love me, gorgeous. We're alike".  
"I don't feel insulted just because you're the most lovely, sweet, adorable, funny…".  
"Sure. Something else too?".  
"…beautiful, perfect and talented girl in the world, who played those _sonatas_ like they were the easiest tunes ever invented, making me so proud…".  
"Oh, Five…did you enjoy the concert that much? For real?".  
"Yes. And do you want to know which part I preferred most of all?".  
"Tell me".  
"To see you enjoy your music. That's been my greatest delight".  
"I…how…how can you say the perfect thing every time I need it?".  
"Well, it could be because **I am perfect**, but if I had to think about it better I guess you meaning the world to me is what changes everything. I've never been good with feelings or people…before".  
"Yeah, I perfectly remember how you were when we met".  
"Yes, well…thanks to whatever is above human life for making me see what I could have missed, hadn't I changed".  
"We probably wouldn't be together if you hadn't".  
"And that's something that simply can't be considered!".  
"No, it can't".  
"Have I already told you that I love you, tonight?".  
"Uh…maybe?".  
"Let's make sure I did, then: I love you, Doll".  
"I love you too, Dimple. More and more everyday".  
"Oh, Peaches…".  
"And **sure as hell I'll have the heads of those meddlesome girls**, but after all I can't really blame them: you looked awesome tonight. I couldn't get out of my head the thought that you looked like an Old Hollywood actor, charming and sophisticated as you were".  
"I thought I was looking pompous, like my blasted Fa…".  
"Not at all! You looked self-confident, at ease, and so handsome…tonight you made me proud too, babe, the proud girlfriend of a distinguished young man who was there to support her. And I can't find the words to express how much your support means to me".  
"I'm glad it made you feel better….and that I made you proud, somehow".  
"I had no doubt about it. Even though I am very tired and I may have not reacted as you probably expected, I felt like one of those girls in the movies when the school's hottest bloke asks them out…".  
"Normally Luther is what girls fantasize about…".  
"Who gives a damn about trite Lootah? Not me".  
"Klaus, then".  
"Nah, too much of a playboy. And besides, I like them smart, cocky and snarky. With nice hair and a dimpled smile. And pretty eyes too. That I like skinny boys, however, is a revelation".  
"What about…how did you say? Ah, yes, **crooked legs**!".  
"Oh, you remembered!".  
"Eh, how can I forget?".  
"Relax, Dimple. I love your legs, like everything about you".  
"Even if I brought you to stuff yourself with donuts, on our first date?".  
"Yes, although it sounds like we agree that it was a rather crappy date…".  
"Heck, I'll have to think of something better for the next one!".  
"Mmmh. We'll see".  
"I…I was excited too when I asked you out. I mean, I had never done something like that before and I knew I had no reason to doubt you would have said yes, but...I wanted to do it. Because you always manage to make mundane things seem so special and natural!".  
"So I make you want to be different?".  
"No. You make me want to do normal things, things that normal people do all the time, like...eating sweets, or...listening to music, hugging, smiling, being lazy. Because **it's good**, and not because it's forbidden".  
"You crave normality, Five?".  
"…I don't want to change who I am, just to do what I want".  
"I get it. Do you feel like you're truly being yourself, when you are with me?".  
"Yes".  
"Then we just have to be normal, together".  
"…I don't know what to say".  
"There's no need for you to say anything at all. Just hold me and be yourself".  
"I wish I could do it forever".  
"Which part?".  
"Both".  
"Me too".

* * *

_A/N: How is it going, in your countries? Are you okay?_

_Please remember that if for you staying home means danger, you can ask for help. You are not alone! Keep safe from any kind of harm, alright?_  
_Love, Stieglitzz_

_PS: back to once-a-week updates, I'm afraid. Only a few chapters left!_


	37. Chapter 32

28.

A few days after the concert, Five got late for their usual evening meeting; Marben didn't worry, didn't even get angry, but at the same time she hadn't been able to fully concentrate on the music she had tried to study to pass the time while waiting for him. So when Five came out of nowhere on the dark staircase outside the window, the girl ran to open it, abandoning violin and bow as if freeing herself of a burden.  
"Five! Why did you take so long?" she asked watching as her boyfriend climbed over the windowsill. In response, Five gave her a dark look.  
"The Apocalypse".  
"Uh?".  
"That's why I took so long, I had to face the end of the world!" he ranted, irked that Marben wasn't following. When she kept looking at him impassively, however, the boy knew he had to explain himself. And apologize too, for he realized he had overreacted. "Sorry, it's…at the Academy a lot of noise has been made about nonsense, lately, and I needed to…you know".  
"Yeah, deal with it in your usual emotionally inept way" Marben countered, prickly but without real malice, and anyway softening right after. "It's okay, babe. Shit happens, sometimes we need to play it down to stay sane" she said kindly, taking Five by the hand and guiding him toward the bed. They sat together, side by side, in silence for a moment. Marben managed to coax Five into resting his head on her shoulder, and took to gently pet his back.  
"Wanna talk about it?".  
"No, it's bullshit…just the old man's notebook that's nowhere to be found". Hearing that, Marben instantly tensed.  
"The one on which he writes down all the monstrosities he then inflicts on you all?". Five nodded.  
"I should be glad that junk has gone who knows where…".  
"But he's punishing you all, isn't he? Because he thinks you made it vanish".  
"…yes". Marben swallowed audibly.  
"Does he hurt you?".  
"No, he just threatens us. If the notebook doesn't come out, however, in a few days he'll begin to make us skip meals and stand facing the wall for hours".  
"Are your siblings alright?".  
"Yes, they are. I'm just a little…'worried' about Ben, though: he's been acting withdrawn, as of late, it's like he can't handle the pressure like he did a while ago".  
"Is he not talking to you?".  
"Not so much, but that's not what worries me. He looks scared, sometimes even paranoid…I don't understand what's going on with him".  
"Oh, shit…".  
"Don't worry, Doll" Five said eventually, determined to end the matter as he pulled himself up and smiled at her with a hint of bitterness, "It sucks, but it could be worse...as strange as it may seem, he never hit us". But Marben failed to lose her gloominess, and Five realized that perhaps he hadn't understood everything. "Hey, what's wrong?".  
"Why the heck do we always end up talking about your father? I swear, it's suffocating!" the girl snapped then, surprising him.  
"True…" Five found himself conceding, a little dazed. "We should make it a rule, never to mention him when we're together". The girl's blue-green eyes darted in his, conveying sternness.  
"As long as I see you angry, hurt, exhausted or even just wearing that uniform he will always be present. Even if we don't name him".  
"Okay, so what about not talking about him **from now on**?" the boy sighed, and unexpectedly, something in the girl's eyes shifted and Marben took in.  
"Fine. Change the subject then" she replied, as if she wanted to challenge him. Five looked at her for a moment, stunned, then a playful smile curved his lips.  
"Bossy!".  
"Quit sniveling, you like it when I am".  
"You know what else do I like?".  
"Peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches?".  
"A part from that" the boy snickered. Marben smiled at him innocently.  
"Me, I hope".  
"Definitely" Five smiled back. "But I meant **spacial jumping**".  
"Oh, that's what you wanna talk about?".  
"It's a topic like any other".  
"Yeah, because I'm dating a superhero…come on then, special kid, introduce me to your ability". Laying a kiss on her boyfriend's cheek, Marben kicked off her shoes and climbed backwards on the bed, sitting cross-legged in the middle of it; Five wasted no time and did the same, sitting himself in front of her.

"First thing you need to know is that it's not gonna work without math" the boy said almost conspiratorially, but apparently Marben wasn't happy with the premise, and throwing her head back with dramatic emphasis she dropped on the pillows.  
"Alright, I'm already screwed! You might as well find some other thing to ta…".  
"Don't give up so easily! Come on, listen to me: every time I jump, first I have to calculate the probability that the particles my body is made of may be located in a given point of space and at a certain time…". With that, Five gained a moderately curious glance from his riotous girlfriend.  
"'Particles', you say. Is this about quantum physics?". Five's face lit up with an awed smile.  
"Quantum mechanics". Marben snorted.  
"Indeed, I was wrong".  
"Don't think about it" Five cut her off. "I was saying, everything is based on the calculation of probabilities. The probability that the particles of which I am composed are found here or there across time and space is given by a complex value called wave function, which I get by solving Schrodinger's equation".  
"…okay, go on".  
"Schrodinger's equation is the set of symbols indicating forces and interactions to which each individual particle is subjected: any of these - henceforth we will call them operators - must be applied to a state - we can define it as the point of existence of the particle - to see which ones can turn them into other states. Are you following?". Marben nodded, although looking pensive.  
"I guess. Practically speaking, you mean that if to the place where the particles exist at the beginning you apply the variables of the equation referring to another place, you understand...if the particles coexist simultaneously in the two places?".  
"Good job! Although not all variables switch between them, like position and speed, therefore their simultaneous measurement is impossible, as said by Heisenberg's uncertainty principle".  
"Right, so you have to do these calculations for each one of your particles? How do you know how many you have?".  
"Through the Avogadro constant…" Five began, to then stop abruptly, waving a hand in the air. "It doesn't matter anyway, because it's not necessary to find out how many molecules I am made of, but where I can find myself within time and space. Basically where I can stop existing in one moment and start existing in the next".  
"Wow...so you dematerialize, when you jump from one place to another?".  
"Uh...I don't think so…I think I'm just moving from here to there, in one piece". Marben tittered with fondness, hearing Five's faltering speech.  
"How does it feel when you jump?".  
"Like jolts of electrostatic energy around my fists and all over my body, but it's stronger on the fists. Didn't you feel them when we jumped together?".  
"No. I just feel like the air is being sucked out of my lungs and I'm free-diving until we land" Marben replied, seemingly absorbed in her thoughts. It only took a few seconds for her to expose them. "I was thinking, though...you talked about space and time. So could you also time-travel, in this same way?". The smile Five gave her could have lit the entire building.  
"**YES! Just that**! But…I can't do it. And I'm not allowed to".  
"Oh…what a pity!" said Marben, somberly, watching the boy's face curl up in a pout. Five didn't stay gloomy for long, though.

"Yeah…d'you know, however, what is the good news?".  
"No, what is it?".  
"You're a fucking genius, Marben! Do you realize that?".  
"Every now and then I have the distinct impression of having been left behind, waving goodbye at my brain that has started at full speed towards an idea…" answered Marben in an accommodating tone, earning herself a look of disbelief and confusion from Five. "I mean, I realize I'm not stupid, but no less than _genial_…".  
"You are, stop being modest. And how is it even possible that you managed to follow a reasoning about a topic you don't know in the slightest and yet you don't understand basic math for shit?".  
"Being smart doesn't mean knowing or understanding everything. However, my being bad at it has always been cause of disappointment in the family: my Grandma was a professor of maths at the University of Cambridge" the girl explained.  
"Oh…I'm sorry" offered Five, sounding dismayed. Marben, however, looked back at him with an impertinent smile.  
"What for? She's not dead, she just has been retired for thirty years!". The two teens exchanged a look - amused on Marben's part, embarrassed on Five's - and then burst out laughing.  
"So, did your family count on you taking after her?".  
"They hoped for it…a lot is expected of me. After all, I'm the firstborn". Marben's admission, made in a low voice and with a slightly self-critical smile accompanied by a shrug, compromised the lightness with which the two teens had been conversing of spacial jumping, without however completely dissipating it; impressing himself, Five understood then that even Marben, who came from a loving and consolidated family, could feel insecure about her role within it, and that saddened him.  
"What is it like, having grandparents?" he asked thereupon, trying to distract her, and internally rejoiced when he managed to snatch a smile from the girl.  
"Funny. My Grandma is all reasoning, in opposition to Grandpa who takes care of the vegetable garden and the animals: once a week he comes to London to bring us fresh eggs, and those for my uncles he delivers them to us because he believes in Mayfair people are too posh to know that eggs come out of hens' arses".  
Five laughed so loudly that Marben had to cover his mouth and beg him to contain himself, fearing they would have ended up getting caught; the boy seized his chance to hug her and roll on the mattress, finding himself lying on top of her, starting to cover her in kisses while she giggled in turn, giving back as much as she got. Feeling tired, after a while, they laid there, hugged to each other, Five with his head resting on Marben's chest and Marben playing with Five's hair. It took Marben that moment of bliss to realize one of the most beautiful things she ever happened to witness.  
"I'm so very much proud of you, Five". The boy craned his neck to look up at her, in confusion.  
"Uh? For what?".  
"For realizing I needed some comfort, earlier, and overshadowing your problems in order to help me. The boy I met back in September would never have done something like that".  
"Yeah, that's more like...**your** thing. Being worthy of you is quite difficult, to me".  
"Don't be so hard on yourself, you're everything I could wish for". Marben meant it seriously, she was telling the truth without adding any sentimentality; but seeing Five's whole face soften into an expression full of love did render euphoric her entire being. "I'm sorry I've been such an arse, earlier, by the way".  
"It's okay, Peaches" replied Five, reaching out to stroke her cheek, "My Father puts a strain on you too, I know. And how comes we're talking about him again?".  
"You're right. We've got something better to say…".  
"Which is?". Marben reached out to kiss him on the lips.  
"I love you" .  
"I love you too, Doll. Thanks for being proud of my progress".  
"Thank you for making them".

* * *

_A/N: Should there be any quantum mechanics expert among you...please be patient: I have never studied it, I just read something about it for pleasure!  
I hope you enjoyed the chapter :) and I thank you very much for the support you continue to give to 'By your window'. You are fantastic!_

_Now let's move on to serious things: FINALLY WE KNOW WHEN SEASON 2 WILL BE OUT! Who wants to fangirl with me? As we're used to say, here in Italy, MADONNA SANTAAAAAAAAAAAA (translation: holy maryyyyyyyyyyyyyy)! Guys I'm not ok. I haven't been able to think of anything alse since yesterday. I'm serious. Send help._


	38. Chapter 33

_WARNING: some mild violence toward the ending...written in a non-dramatic, non-graphic way. Don't read if you think it might upset you!_

_Chapter Soundtrack: watch?v=vPRonG87eKw. The one from the jukebox ;)_

* * *

29.

"I'm here!" Five announced himself one evening, blinking directly inside Marben's dorm; she greeted him with a dazzling, knowing smile and no wonderment whatsoever.  
"Oh, it's you!".  
"Why, were you waiting for someone else?" mumbled the boy, a bit disappointed.  
"Don't be daft. Now, put this on" the girl tittered, and then shoved something under his nose: looking down, Five noticed it was a bundle of clothes.  
"Why?".  
"I'm taking you out". Not receiving further clarification, Five began to fidget, his restless feet changing position on the floor several times.ù  
"…like with a gun?" he asked eventually, in the cautious tone he usually directed to those he deemed unstable.  
"**Like on a date**!" stressed Marben, stopping to collect the scores scattered on the floor and turning to look at him, halfway between incredulous and amused. "Why should I ever make you change clothes, if I wanted to kill you?".  
"…to dump my body somewhere and make it difficult to identify it?".  
"Again, don't be daft babe. It'll just be a date".  
"Another one?" the boy snickered.  
"Yes, and it will be awesome, you'll see. So, dress like a normal guy and let's go!". Under his girlfriend's watchful gaze, Five examined the clothes she had handed him.  
"Do normal guys wear their in-laws' flannel shirts?".  
"Listen, it's that or you come out naked. How am I supposed to find normal clothes for you to wear, if I'm trapped here all day?" Marben said dryly.  
"Point taken" the boy rushed to reply, to then show her a pair of trousers. "And these jeans?".  
"My brother's".  
"What the hell are you doing, a million miles from home with your relatives' clothes in the closet?" asked Five, disbelieving; Marben's expression got perplexed, at that point, as if hearing the question out loud had made her realize the situation really was uncommon.  
"Dunno, they probably ended up in the mail by mistake...or maybe Oliver sent them as a joke". Catching a glimpse of Five's formal dress shirt, however, she dismissed the thought. "Take off that shirt too, nobody our age wears them".  
"And what do I wear?". Again, Marben handed him something: Five automatically took it, and when he understood what it was he gave her a skeptical look. "Your father's worn-out tee? Seriously?".  
"What's up, are you too precious for anything other than tailored suits?".  
"Tell me, rather, do your relatives agree about you lending their clothes to strangers?". Tutta la giocosità e il sarcasmo di Marben si dissiparono, lasciando spazio a un'espressione aperta e gentile piena di tenerezza che trasfigurò i suoi lineamenti.  
"You're no stranger. I belong with you as much as I belong with them" she said looking Five straight in the eyes. "Now dress, quickly! I'll be waiting on the fire escape".  
Five felt his cheeks burn, while giving up and getting rid of his uniform. He had believed that after some time together he would eventually stop blushing, in Marben's presence, that sweetness and intimacy would just become a matter of habit; but hearing her put him on the same level as her family had made him understand that, probably, a time when Marben would have had nothing significative to tell him would never come. And that was because it was him, in the first place, with his overwhelming feelings, who gave to the girl's voice, words and gestures the most absolute importance.

When he was done putting on what Marben had given him, Five stepped over the windowsill and joined her on the fire escape's landing. He realized he hadn't jumped only when he found himself outdoors, and it was a powerful sensation, exhilarating and frightening at the same time, as if with his usual clothing Five had left behind his powers too.  
His girlfriend was waiting for him, looking at the smoky sky of the city night, perhaps hoping to catch a glimpse of stars. She was so beautiful, as always, in her simple low rise jeans and long sleeved shirt, that suddenly Five felt stupidly inadequate. Evidently so, judging by the inquisitive look Marben gave him when she felt his presence and turned.  
"I feel and look ridiculous!" the boy blurted, a bit accusatory.  
"You do, that has to be said" Marben indulgently replied with a smile, but immediately cursed herself for saying so, and had to run to stop Five from going back inside and recovering his Umbrella Academy uniform. "Come on, babe, **relax**!".  
"Why do I have to parade through the city looking like this?". Five was being irrational, and it was so unusual from him that Marben understood immediately what was wrong, so she tried to be conciliatory.  
"Because nobody will recognize you, dressed as a boy of your age. Forget about the clothes, those are supposed to make only the Umbrella Kid invisible, not the _real you_…the _you_ that matters!". The boy appeared to have been persuaded for a few moments, but then he stopped staring at his feet and raised his eyes to give her a stare full of insecurity. "What is it, Dimple? You can tell me".  
"It's just that…you're so beautiful. I'd like for people who'll see us together to think I deserve to be with you".  
"Screw 'hem, they know nothing about you! And **I** say I'd want you with me even if you were dressed in rags and smelling of sewage" said Marben, in a voice firm enough not to let transpire her heart had cracked a little, hearing Five doubt himself in comparison to her. As an answer, the boy cupped her face and kissed her like she was the air he needed to live.  
"I love you **so much**" Five panted on her lips when he broke the kiss, and Marben smiled.  
"I…more".

.oO°Oo.

"Where are you taking me, then?" Five casually asked as they strolled down the street, hand in hand. Marben shrugged.  
"Nowhere specifically…I thought we could improvise, do everything normal kids do and you never had the chance to…or nothing at all. Whatever you prefer, actually".  
"So…you took me on a date without having a plan about it?".  
"Maybe I'm just taking you somewhere quiet where 'to dump your body and make it difficult to identify it'…". At that, Five guffawed and wrapped an arm around her neck.  
"You're too fond of my 'skinny arse', like you love to call it, to cause it any harm" he snickered, kissing the top of Marben's head.  
"You're right, you lucky sod…hey, isn't that Klaus?". Following the girl's pointed finger, Five squinted his eyes to try and see more clearly the features of the boy who was just then sneaking into an alley not far from them.  
"Uh...yes" he reluctantly agreed, eyes burning holes in his brother's back. "Come, let's cross, if Klaus gets into that alley it means it's not frequented by decent people".  
"But shouldn't we stay around to check nothing bad happens to him?" asked Marben, vaguely resisting when Five tried to push her towards the crosswalks.  
"He's trained to fight, remember? He could handle it". The boy could tell his girlfriend wasn't too happy to leave Klaus on his own, which annoyed him a little, but said nothing; he merely guided her to the most respectable part of the city, where there was no danger of meeting drug dealers or thugs, and forced himself to put his own jealousy to sleep: if on the one hand he felt moved by the knowledge that Marben could be protective of his siblings, on the other he was not willing to share her attentions with them. His brothers and sister had already taken everything, from his birthday to the Academy's best rooms, the precious time their Father could use to train him in time-traveling. He didn't want to give them anything else.

Chatting and trying to decide where to go and what to do, the two of them reached the Park without even realizing it. Finding the gates still open they sneaked in.  
"Oh" said Marben in a soft voice when she noticed the trees surrounding them, "Here, **now** it looks like a real date!".  
"Yeah" Five agreed, looking around and appearing unusually at peace. "A little more romantic".  
The two exchanged a sweet and intimate smile, without saying anything because they had long since learned their silences were often worth a thousand words; their fingers, already entwined, tightened even more around each other, and for a moment finding a suggestive spot in the city to visit or choosing which forbidden activity to try, was no longer important…  
"Five? What are you doing here?" someone asked, forcing Marben and Five out of their reverie. Turning abruptly, the two teens met the gaze of one of their least favorite people.  
"What am I do...what are **you** doing here, Loofah!" peevishly snarked Five, and Marben burst out laughing right away, earning herself a proud smirk from her boyfriend and an abashed glance from his brother.  
"Why is she laughing?".  
"An inside joke I'm not going to explain, you wouldn't understand it anyway".  
"What do you mean…".  
"Hi guys!". Turning on their heels again, Marben and Five found themselves face to face with _another one_ of their least favorite people.  
"Oh, **of course** there's Allison too!" exclaimed the blonde girl, sounding enthusiastic but dripping with a sarcasm that didn't go unnoticed.  
"Of course" Five settled, and at that point the sarcasm must have been too much, because Allison seemed to be uncomfortable.  
"So…what are you two doing here?".  
"Same thing as you lot" Five answered, annoyed once again.  
"As in 'take advantage of **dear** old daddy's absence to sneak out of the house and mess around a bit like normal kids'…you guys are trying to take 'normal' to a whole new level, though…" added Marben, to then burst into a loud laugh again. Allison looked at her suspiciously.  
"Is she drunk?" she asked Five, who gloated at the sight of his amused girlfriend.  
"Just allergic to idiots, I'm afraid".  
"Five, I swear…".  
"Oh, just ignore him, Luther. You know how he is". Turning her back to Marben and Five as if to completely exrase them from all existence, Allison approached Luther with a smile and offered him one of the hot dogs she had held until then. "If you know what I mean…_I have prepared a feast_!".  
"Don't do that ever again" Marben severely ordered to her, abruptly interrupting her own laughter, "Not the 'feast' part, mind you, the 'ài hév pweppéw'd éi' one".  
"She's right, it sounded pretty offensive!" chirped Lear walking up to them, Vanya securely clinging to her arm.  
"Nooooo, y'all got out too?" Allison joyfully asked her sister; not far away, Five muttered an unenthusiastic 'Yaaaaay' while glaring daggers at Lear, and earning himself an elbowing in the ribs from his girlfriend.  
"Hi, Vanya" Marben went to hug her student, deliberately ignoring Five's pained gasps. "Wait, Lear, if you're here who is…".  
"I asked Diana if we could swap places on Myery's deathbed tonight, otherwise I would have missed the only opportunity to go out with Vanya from here to who knows when...".  
"Wait, is your cousin alright?" Allison unexpectedly asked to Marben, who was taken aback by the other girl's concern.  
"Yeah, she just likes to complain a lot, when she gets the flu. Thank you".  
"How many people I don't give a damn about, all crammed together…" mumbled Five, leaping away with a yeet when Marben looked at him with hostility in her eyes. Luckily, Klaus' flamboyant appearance saved him from an exemplary punishment.  
"**Hey, beautifolks!**".  
"_Beautifolks_?" several voices repeated, some curious, some confused and others simply annoyed.  
"Yeah, sort of a mashup between beautiful and folks…" Klaus clarified, sounding extremely self-satisfied with his invention. Luther, though, didn't appreciate the creativity.  
"I did get that!".  
"Well, beautiful…_ish_, I guess" Klaus mumbled, ignoring Luther and examining everyone else's oufit; only then did Marben realize that Allison and Luther were dressed decently, but the other Hargreeves hadn't managed to get away with it much better than Five.  
"Anyway. Whatcha doing, having fun without me?". A chorus of voices objecting to Klaus joining the group rose immediately. "Hey, this really hurts my feelings! It's offensive!" the poor boy whined, putting a hand on his heart and taking on a distraught expression, credible but which Marben identified as studied all the same. She hated that it was, it meant Klaus was used to being poorly treated by his siblings and to feigning emotion on command. So she defended him without a second thought, and Vanya took her side.  
"He's right, you guys are assholes!".  
"I'm happy you're here, lieber Bruder". Klaus sweetly smiled back at his sister, squeezing her hand.  
"Danke schon, kleine Schwester".  
"Well, we might be assholes, but at least we don't fill other people's hairdryers with talc!" snapped Allison out of the blue, piqued. Five rolled his eyes and the sweet moment was over.  
"Jeez, here we go again…".  
"That wasn't just me!" forcefully objected Klaus, raising his hands in a placating gesture when Luther stood up.  
"Hey, accomplices are not to be betrayed, douchebag!" accused Five, alternating threatening glances at Klaus and cautious ones at Luther; Klaus, on the other hand, chose not to worry about the super-strong brother and to focus entirely on the scrawny one.  
"Oh, aren't they? Served you well, then, when I mixed the leftover peanut butter with salt last week!".  
"**Was that you**?".  
"Oh, dear…" sighed Marben, covering her eyes with nervous hands.  
"What the _hell_ is happening?" Lear snickered, confused but also amused by the situation. Vanya, instead, tried to be the responsible one and coax her brothers back to reason.  
"Guys, come on…".  
"Now that I think about it…who did replace the toilet paper in the west wing third floor bathroom with insulating tape?". Everyone fell silent and turned to look at Luther.  
"I only know **he** gave me his coke after he'd been shaking it for ten minutes solid to see if it would explode…" Allison mumbled, pointing at Five.  
"HA! Do you remember that time Ben said 'Let's put Luther's hand in hot water while he's sleeping!' and I was like 'But first we should burn all his clean underwear!' and you went to steal a lighter from Dad's study?" Klaus asked Five, who surprisingly let go of his customary frown and started laughing with him.  
"Guys, why can't you just love each other, since you're allowed to stick together?". Next thing Vanya knew, Klaus was in full combat mode.  
"Careful, little Vanya. We know it was you who put shaving foam on Diego's strawberries while Mom wasn't looking".  
"HOW…'We' who?" Vanya asked, outraged, but Klaus had already forgotten her.  
"And we also know who did put the kitchen nut in the shower head…Allison!".  
"WHAT? Why?" Luther blurted out.  
"I wanted to prank Five, not you! I swear!".  
"Trust her, she's telling the truth. Pity that I sensed the trap and made you go first…".  
"Yeah, and do you know what else is a real pity?" Marben intervened, without looking at any of them. "That you all didn't sense trouble, busy as you were waging war amongst yourselves over childish nonsense. Because I think Diego may be in the shit, up to his neck".

Following her worried gaze, the group dropped the the animosity and found itself looking over the Park's fence: on the other side of the road, in front of a bar, some noisy and probably drunk - certainly hostile - men were shouting insults at a familiar looking boy, who seemed strangely unable to react, while they pushed him around and rummaged inside his pockets. However, seeing him helplessly faltering wasn't the most worrying thing in the picture, since the men who were taking it out on him were all big, strong adults and the situation was rapidly deteriorating.  
"Holy shit, they're gonna eat him alive!" Klaus said in a thin, mortified voice, with wide open eyes that could not turn away from the bleak show. Beside him, Five made a vague noise of assent.  
"Why the fuck doesn't he react?".  
"You think they made him drink?" Luther turned to ask Allison, but before she could answer Marben cut them off once again.  
"Guys, why are we here, _supposing,_ while your brother risks going to eat salad from the roots?".

In the blink of an eye they all started running disorderly toward the bar. At some point, Five managed to reach Marben and grab her by a hand, taking her with him when he jumped: they landed a few meters away from the altercation and only some ahead of the others, mere seconds before Klaus made his way out of the Park shouldering them both and howling Diego's name. Hearing his brother's voice, Diego turned to look at them and the strangers ceased their tormenting for a moment, focusing on the newcomers.  
"Diego!" repeated Klaus, catching up with his brother and grabbing him by an arm while Diego watched him, dumbfounded, "What do these bad guys want from you?".  
"Our money!" brayed one of the strangers, and another came to his aid.  
"Yes, the lil' shit cheated at darts and robbed us of the win!". Further back, a man spat on the ground: Marben heard Vanya make a disgusted noise, and briefly turning to look at her, she saw the rest of the group had also reached the sidewalk.  
"Well, if my brother returned the money you could go back to your evening as if nothing had happened, right?" asked Five, and although he was dressed in clothes that were not his, too big for him and that didn't befit his build, for a moment he looked exactly like his usual self: hands in pockets, duck feet, brazen expression on a clean and apparently innocent face. _Utterly adorable_, Marben thought.  
"Not on my watch, you waif!" sneered the spitting man, and the others with him. "Theft must be punished…and who did you say it is, the thief? Your brother?".  
"Alright. What do you want, apologies?" blurted Klaus, clearly anxious. Diego, however, by dint of being left on the sidelines had become nervous, and now wanted to let everyone know what he thought of the whole affair.  
"T-the fuck I'm gonna apo-logize, the fuck I-I'm gonna give up the mo-money! I won it, it's mine!" he said categorically, grabbing Klaus by the collar and shaking him to add emphasis, albeit with little vigor. In the tense silence that followed Lear burst out laughing, hysterically and amused at once.  
"Oh, you're messing up spectacularly!" she squealed, nonchalantly clapping a hand on Vanya's one, who was shaking her arm in an attempt to make her act reasonable.  
"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?" one of the strangers thundered over the chorus of his cronies' protests, and the group began to throw cigarettes on the ground, get rid of the bottles of beer and menacingly approach Diego - and by extension, the kids. Marben grabbed Klaus by the wrist and tried to pull him away, while he did the same with Diego.  
"SHIT!" hissed Five.  
"Ditto! We shouldn't even be here!" whimpered Allison, and Marben didn't need to look back to know for sure Luther was shielding her. A few steps back, however, and a car passing by at full speed forced the two of them to leap forward with a duet of highly undignified squeaks. Without a way out, the squad of angry drunkards mere steps away from them and continuing to push forward, the kids started to guess what the only possible escape was. Lear made it clear for everyone.  
"Alright, Umbrella Kids, it's time for you to show us what you're really made of" she said exhaling hard, with her eyes fixed on the 'enemy'. "No powers allowed, and no killing. Just an old-fashioned, unfair, filthy brawl. May the best non-superhero win!".  
And with a belligerent scream that Marben supposed was a battle cry, Lear rushed at the bar's patrons, who apparently were expecting nothing more than a signal from them to spring into action.  
From then on, everything became a blur.  
The only clear thing from the start, was that luck was on the kids' side: the strangers were weighed down by alcohol and junk food, presumably tired after a day of work (and a long evening of drinking and smoking), while the teens were agile and quick, even if a bit improvised fighters (they evidently were used to rely a little too much on their supernatural skills).  
Marben managed to make herself useful here and there, mainly making fall those who ran towards her, giving a few shoves, sticking her fingers in a couple of eyes. Almost immediately someone inside the bar sent a drunkard crashing against a jukebox, and an old song from the sixties started to mingle with the noises from the brawl.  
"WOOOOOOHOOOOO! I LOVE THIS FUCKING SONG!". Klaus. _Of course_ it had been Klaus!  
Not far from Marben, Lear showed Vanya how to properly kick a man in the nuts; in a corner, Five smashed a bottle on a patron's nape. Allison was repeatedly banging a stranger's head on a coffee table, and Luther simply dodging all the blows anyone tried to deliver (had he answered, there would have been no way not to resort to his power). Klaus was not in sight, but no one else in the world could have fought shrieking in such an unmistakable way.  
"FIVE, HOW COME YOU DON'T KNOW JACK ABOUT POP CULTURE AND YET YOUR BROTHER IS SCREAMING LIKE XENA?".  
"SCREAMING LIKE _WHO_?".  
Klaus, indeed, even had the courage to draw a plate from the nearest table and slam it into the face of the first drunkard who went against him. At that point, however, Marben had no way to keep checking that the others hadn't gotten into too serious trouble, because a stranger saw her alone and unarmed and started running uncoordinatedly toward her, arms outstretched as if wanting to lean out to grab a hold of her despite the distance. Instinctively, the girl seized the coffee table next to her, and in doing so she revealed where Diego had holed up (even if the squawk he emitted when he was discovered would have betrayed him anyway). Marben dismissed him, his eyes wide with terror, his fists full of dollars clenched to the chest, and placed the small table's bracket on one of her shoulders; leaning forward, head protected by the tabletop, she charged her attacker like an infuriated ram. With a strong 'SMACK! the stranger was thrown back of a few meters, enough to make him hit three of his cronies and send them all ruinously tumbling to the ground.  
"STRIKE!" Marben shouted as she got rid of the coffee table and raised her arms to the sky, in exultance. A moment later, Five was girdling her around the waist; another yet and they were gone in a flash of blue light.

* * *

_A/N: Hello everyone, I'm back! :) How are you? I hope to 'find' you healthy and safe, although unfortunately the world continues to be a difficult place to live in...  
I know, it took me so long to write this chapter, but IN THE END HERE IT IS! I hope you enjoyed it, it has been a whole lot of fun to write. Don't worry for the kids, they ALL will be heading home safe and sound, not just Marben and Five! There will be great progress, soon...soooo soon._


	39. Chapter 34

_Chapter Soundtrack: watch?v=fvVBtqJkksc_

* * *

30.

"...and we still don't know whether if Diego was drunk or high…" said Lear from where she was laying on the floor, idling about. Marben giggled and turned to their friends, with a complicit air.  
"Or maybe even both!".  
"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" thundered Myery, laughing so hard that it morphed into a coughing fit.  
"Easy there, take it easy. You haven't healed yet" Diana admonished her, offering a glass of water and pushing the red-haired girl towards the pillow; Myery took the glass and leaned back but her laughter and coughing didn't weaken, even if after a bit began to sound strained. Lear propped herself up, giving her friend an unimpressed look.  
"You know, it would be nice of you not to spread too many bacteria around. I'm doing fine without the whole plague experience, thank you very much".  
"After what you did last night, your mental stability should take priority among your worries!" Myery peevishly replied, making an effort not to surrender to the need to cough. Lear made to retort, but Marben cut her off before she could.  
"She's not entirely wrong: you weren't afraid of those thugs, yesterday, but now get phobic over a little cough?".  
"You three bitches are just jealous the idea of dragging the Umbrella Kids into a brawl was mine, moreover challenging them to fight without powers".  
"No, dear, you're totally missing the point! And you too" accusingly blurted Myery, then, giving Lear a foul look while pointing a finger at her cousin. "**You've been two fucking irresponsibles**!".

Understandably, the room's vibe changed brusquely: Marben and Lear lost all their playfulness, and even Diana, who had nothing to do with the brawl from the night before, lowered her eyes and bowed her head.  
"What if one of those brutes had actually managed to hurt you? Or how would you have explained to the teachers a black eye, how would you have done with the lessons if you broke an arm?" Myery stressed. "Not to mention that we had just succeeded in misleading Arsegreeves! Now he will surely get suspicious, and go back to following us _everywhere_!".  
"You think the Kids will get into trouble, for what happened?" Diana turned to ask Marben, in a worried tone. The other girl looked at her as if she hadn't thought of it until that moment, then her gaze clouded and she nodded.  
"Maybe Arsegreeves came back earlier and caught them on the way home?" Lear tried to suggest.  
"It could be…but however it went it doesn't change the fact that surely the others will be covered in scratches and bruises today, and that damned geezer has the eyes of a hawk. He will put two and two together and know his Kids ended up in the fight even if nobody recognized them".  
"Shit, I hadn't thought of that…" murmured Lear, genuinely looking contrite. Myery, however, was not convinced.  
"If what Five tells you about how they get trained is true, why should bruising and scratching be a problem, all of a sudden?". Marben gave her cousin a bitter smile, tinged with contempt.  
"Because this time they didn't get hurt while training for his holy cause. On the contrary, they were behaving like the criminals they fight to make the world a better place. Arsegreeves will be furious".  
"That man really is raving mad…" murmured Myery, in dismay.  
"I think he only adopted the Kids to gain parental authority and train them as he sees fit. No mentally sane parent would have ever given their son or daughter to him, had they known what he would have subjected them to".

"Alright then, let's stop crying over spilt milk, it's of no use" Diana intervened after a moment of tense silence, with an air of finality that sounded reassuring. "In all honesty I don't think this nonsense will bring back in Arsegreeves' old, despicable mind the desire to look at us as frogs to be dissected. At most he will think we're troublemakers that are deranging his children".  
"In case you missed it, I just said this could be even worse! He's _obsessed_ with the Kids' reputation!" came with an unexpected, bitter laugh from Marben.  
"Excuse me? We're trying not to be defeatists, here" Diana impatiently rebuked her.  
"Right, sorry" acquiesced Marben, raising her hands in a placating gesture, "But please, while you're at it keep this in mind: if he wanted to make us discard our whole lives and follow him to the Academy to get warped into whatever he deems of his liking, all he would have to do would be telling his daughter to _ask us kindly_. And we would, without even realizing it".  
The room swooped into silence again, so quickly that the warmth of it seemed to vanish along with the sounds. On the bed, Myery remained motionless, as well as Lear on the floor; Diana, instead, crossed her arms to her chest as if she really was feeling cold. Marben didn't regret being ruthless, the Girls needed to know what they could have to face.  
"You…you think Allison would…" stuttered Diana, probably voicing the other girls' doubt too.  
"**I know** she would. She's not bad at heart, she just is her father's creation…and she cannot oppose to him" incisively replied Marben, and Diana nodded.  
"We must keep making Arsegreeves believe we're four harmless screwed-ups, then".  
"Indeed…let's stick to the plan like nothing happened" agreed Lear, "That's all we have. And after all, if it already worked once, maybe it will work a second time around too!".  
"Wait…" tentatively came from Myery, however, forcing the other three girls to turn abruptly toward her. "And what if we were to make things worse, in order to improve them?". Silence ensued.  
"Uh?" voiced Lear after a moment, her voice brimming with confusion. Diana wasn't faring better.  
"What do you mean?".  
"Marben, you said that if Arsegreeves thought we're having a bad influence on his children it would make him terribly angry, right?" recapped Myery, searching for her cousin's gaze. Marben nodded, so focused on what she was going to hear that she didn't seem to be even breathing.  
"Yup".  
"So why not convince him exactly of this? Were he to despise us, he wouldn't want to deal with us in any way, he would try to lock up the Kids in the Academy to keep 'em safe and maybe even fuck off!".  
"... oh god, it's such a foolish idea that it actually seems to hold up!" Lear exclaimed, sounding surprised and somehow intrigued.  
"Did I understand correctly, then? You suggest causing trouble whenever the chance arise, to convince him that we're bad seeds?" questioned Marben, sounding possibilist. Myery had to sense something in her cousin's attitude that deceived her, because she gave Marben a look and spoke with a tone of voice that seemed to want to challenge her to find a better solving.  
"Exactly, and at the same time we keep copying you, to prove him that we're of no use, as well as destructive!".  
"I'm in" asserted Lear without any insecurity whatsoever, and Diana copied her, going to sit next to Myery to compliment her idea.  
Marben stood aside for a moment, watching them as she felt a thrilling wave of disobedience, protest and freedom pervade her like a gust of fresh and clean air. The mere thought of being able to return to mastering her own gestures and body had such a galvanizing effect on her that her face transfigured in a bright, even a bit impertinent, smile.  
"I agree, it really is a brilliant idea" she finally said then, attracting the other girls' attention; Myery, Lear and Diana marveled at seeing her smile with such enthusiasm. "Let's do this!".

.oO°Oo.

"Can I be completely unreasonable for a moment?".  
"Sure!".  
"…I had the time of my life, fighting those assholes!".  
"WHAT? You had fun risking your life in the midst of a pack of big, ugly, stinking and drunk strangers?".  
"Yeah! It's...so invigorating, to do the right thing, and they undoubtedly had it coming!".  
"You do realize we've been extremely lucky…".  
"Nooooo, not you too…".  
"…that it could have ended very badly, that those bastards could have reduced us to a pulp if only had they been a little less drunk…".  
"Of course I know, but it didn't happen, did it?".  
"Still not a good reason to become too self-confident!".  
"I'm not being too self-confident. At any rate, let's be grateful about what a good opportunity to practice it has been".  
"_PRACTICE_? You mean you're going to do that again?".  
"Who knows? It can always come in handy to know how to fight…".  
"No, Marben, just _NO_. That's not how problems are solved".  
"And yet, it's what you Umbrella Kids always do!".  
"Yes, but you're better than that. Don't get down to our level".  
"…say what you want, but I'm happy about the experience. Those men were being mean to Diego! It was so wrong from so many points of view I wouldn't even know from where to start shouting abuse against them, so letting the fists talk probably has been for the best!".  
"Oh, Doll…".  
"Why are you laughing? Didn't it piss you off?".  
"Kind of. A bit, yes. But not all that much, to be honest: Diego's not a child, he's trained enough to solve his troubles by himself".  
"...so why did you accept the challenge?".  
"Because I just can't stand that bitchy friend of yours! I wanted to stick to the rules and rub in her face I can fend for myself even without powers!".  
"So you were settling an old issue, fighting for dominance against Lear…".  
"Normally I wouldn't give a damn about proving myself to her. But since she challenged me, yesterday…".  
"For heaven's sake, she challenged everyone, Five, not just **you**!".  
"However. Someone had to show her her place".  
"Sounds pretty sexist, you know…".  
"It has nothing to do with her being a girl, but everything to do with her being hateful!".  
"I knew, baby. Relax, I was just teasing".  
"Oh, were you? You little, **brawling** rascal!".  
"Thinking about it…does your father know about the fight?".  
"He suspects, but...I think he has no evidence about our involvement. Yet. So for now he's not gonna punish us".  
"Great! And how's Diego?".  
"Pissed off".  
"As is to be expected of someone with such a temper! Is he ok, though?".  
"Yeah, Mom took care of him in secret. Apparently those fools gave him a lot to drink, before challenging him at darts".  
"…I'm all the more happy to have kicked those assholes' butts!".  
"C'mon, honey! Are you becoming a hooligan?".  
"…if I did, would you have to get me arrested?".  
"Technically, yes...but I could never bring myself to do it. We could always run away together…".  
"Where?".  
"Anywhere. As long as I'm with you, I don't care". 

* * *

_A/N: I know, I'm late again...but I'll post one more chapter, this week, to make amends :) and also to thank you, because to see that you're becoming a crowd is my personal joy. Thank you, beautifolks. I embrace you all, one by one._


	40. Chapter 35

_WARNING: bullying. If watching the show didn't make you feel upset you probably won't have any problems reading this chapter, but anyway...you've been warned! _

_Chapter Soundtrack: watch?v=fCOBeXELz-s_

* * *

31.

She saw the boy jump the barrier before anyone else: grabbing Myery's wrist, Marben (and all the crowd, by then) watched as he did the same with Allison's arm and started talking animatedly to her. The masked girl, however, didn't have to say anything for Luther came immediately to her rescue, staving the stranger away.  
"GET BACK BEHIND THE BARRICADE!" thundered Arsegreeves, gesturing for the boy to remove himself from his presence. Strangely, the Umbrella Kids fled inside the Academy and the crowd became silent, to listen to what the Monocle and the kid were saying. Marben could hear it too.  
"I'ts just…I was born on the same day as the Academy Kids. I think I'm like them! I **must** be!" she heard the boy declare in an urgent and slightly shaky voice - if that was out of fear of the imposing man in front of him or excitement, she could not tell. "I haven't quite figured out what my power is…yet, but with your help we can find out…".  
Sir Hargreeves brusquely interrupted him, leaning down to be at the teen's height and saying something that got lost in the breeze. Marben saw the hateful man emphatically point his walking stick toward the other side of the street - where she and her class stood - and guessed he was once again urging the boy to leave.  
"No, please, I…you have to let me stay!" cried the stranger, clearly in anguish. "I came all this way, please don't make me go back!".  
Something was really wrong if the boy was begging to be given permission to stay at the Academy, Marben told herself. God knew she'd throw herself under a bus rather than being subjected to Arsegreeves' presence daily. But clearly everyone thought otherwise.  
"A little word of advice, my boy" the Sir then deigned the stranger of real consideration, and even coming as far as laying a hand on the kid's shoulder he talked loudly so that everyone could hear. "Not everyone in this world can be powerful. Chasing something unattainable is a recipe for a lifetime of disappointment and resentment. So get. Off. My. Property!". Arsegreeves grabbed the poor boy for the lapel of his jacket and forcefully shoved him away, while the crowd started laughing.  
"Wha'…?" rattled Marben, watching dismally as the police did nothing. She heard Myery and Diana gasp in disbelief, and Lear curse under her breath, while the boy stumbled and nearly crashed against Hargreeves' black car, avoiding the impact only by thrusting a hand in front of himself, to curb inertia. He turned to see everyone laughing and pointing at him, as the Monocle was shutting the Academy's gate in his face with a loud clang. Behind him, the Umbrella Kids had come out of their grand home to not miss the show of his humiliation.  
"_What the fuck is wrong, with this sodding city_?" Marben snarled, glowering at the masked faces and then to the laughing ones, pervaded by a rage that felt like fire burning in her veins; Myery looked at her and didn't like what she saw.  
"Hang on" the red-haired girl said then, sounding urgent, "I have an idea".  
Lear and Diana, both sporting an alarmed look, hurried to follow Myery, disappearing with her in the crowd made of their classmates. Marben, instead, stayed back to watch the unknown boy's shaming with fists balled so tight her short nails carved in the palms' soft skin, and feeling unbearably oppressed by a shame that didn't belong to her.  
Without warning, a distracting and gentle hand wrapped around one of hers: the blonde girl turned to look with fiery eyes at who had dared to bother her, but Myery didn't let herself get scared, and with a glance full of determination convinced her cousin to follow her.  
"Join, but don't take the initiative. Let us go first".

"…I'm so worried, I'm afraid he may not be in his right mind…" Diana was whimpering as they approached the teachers; their friend was letting herself be steered over toward the street by the hand Miss Thompson had placed on her shoulder, masterfully pretending to be in anguish, so Myery, Marben and Lear followed, and walking at a brisk pace they all reached the unknown boy a few meters from the Academy's door. Ignoring the crowd's loud shouts and laughs, Miss Thompson allowed the girls to address the stranger, asking him if he was feeling alright and inviting him to follow them to the School, where he could have called home and arranged to be picked up; he looked at them, annihilated and overwhelmed with so many emotions at once, cardboard domino mask askew on his nose, and Marben caught the trembling of his lip, stubbornly kept under control but that she could never have missed. The boy was terribly upset, and refusing to show it to everyone. So he lowered his eyes and shook his head no. He said something as well, but Marben was so furious that she had been hearing nothing but white noise for a while, and only saw his lips move.  
Miss Thompson spoke, gesturing to the boy to follow her. Marben saw Diana take him by the hand, coaxing him into compliance, and Lear helping her lead him. Spurred by the sudden need to do something - anything that didn't involve causing physical harm to some rich asshole - the blonde girl put her hand on the boy's back and followed the group as it turned to cross the street once again. Before taking her leave, however, she reacted to the disturbing, familiar sensation that pervaded her every time she felt Arsegreeves' gaze on the back of her neck: she turned, and when, indeed, found the old bastard staring at her, she glared back with all the fury she was capable of, wishing to be able to cause him to instantly die or at least make him get an heart attack. Something had to happen for real, since the hateful man's face suddenly slackened and then made itself astonished. Marben, though, had already turned, disappointed not to have seen him collapse in a dying heap, and did no longer deign anyone of a single glance as she left.

.oO°Oo.

"What's up, pumpkin?" was the mirthful greeting little Fulvius gave her that late afternoon; seated on her favorite stone bench, Marben kept looking estranged from reality.  
"I…I genuinely don't know what to think".  
"What? Are you kidding me?". Fixing ahead and completely expressionless, Marben shook her head. "Wow. I…I always thought I would have never seen the day your brain would have slowed down…but then you fell in love with an arsehole, so I guess…".  
A hand landed abruptly on Marben's shoulder, and Fulvius got frozen into place by a foul look.  
"If you have nothing nice to say, just shut your mouth!" said Turandot sternly. Fulvius gaped at her for a moment, then did as he was told so quickly his remaining milk teeth clicked. Among the two of them, careless of everything and everyone, Marben continued to stare into space.  
"What happened, dear? Was it Hargreeves?". Marben opened her mouth and made to say something, then stopped. Eventually, she ceased looking disconnected and became frustrated. "Y…yes. No. I mean…".  
"Has he tried to hurt you?" Fulvius rushed to ask; Marben snapped completely out of her aloofness and glanced at him, dumbstruck.  
"What? No".  
"**Thank god!**" said Turandot fiercely, inadvertently squeezing Marben's shoulder too much and causing the girl to wince and wriggle free with a whimper. "Oh, I'm so sorry, dear!".  
"Yeah, yeah, just a mo', Spring Rolls, lemme talk with the little one, I think I know what's going on". Shooing an outraged Turandot out of his way, Fulvius planted himself right in front of Marben and looked her straight in the eye.ù  
"You saw Arsegreeves humiliate and mock that kid on the street, today" he said, and Marben nodded. "But what's worse is that you've also seen your boyfriend - who frankly has the worse of influences on you, since by dating him you got into the habit of doing stupid things like, for example, _challenging his father_ \- do nothing to help said kid, choosing instead to laugh at him with the others". This time, Marben lowered her eyes contritely before nodding again. At their left, Turandot hissed something viciously-sounding in Chinese and spat on the ground.  
"Hey, **what the hell**?" blurted the red-haired boy with eyes as wide as saucers. The pretty - and apparently sometimes rough - woman ignored him.  
"Don't take on yourself the blame for what Five did or didn't, Marben. You've got nothing to be ashamed of". The blonde girl sighed sadly.  
"But that boy went home and smashed his father's head with a hammer, only a few hours ago. How am I supposed to look at Five again and…and don't think he could have made the difference, today?". All at once, Marben's eyes filled with enraged, bitter tears. "I saw the boy on the street **beg** for a place to stay, and for fuck's sake, why didn't anybody else understand that something was terribly wrong with that? Five must have realized it too, I know! How could he ignore it? Two lives have gone wasted, now, and for what? He could have…if he only…".  
Fulvius and Turandot watched in dismay as Marben curled on herself and hid her angered, tear-streaked face behind her hands. After a while, the tall woman sat on the bench and began to stroke the girl's back soothingly; the kid, instead, stared at the pavement.  
"Well, the choice to be with him did reveal itself a nuisance since the very beginning" said Fulvius at some point, so devoid of any animosity that neither Marben or Turandot felt the need to reprimand him. "At first he used to rule you out from his life, then humiliated you for your feelings toward him and finally he has turned out to be a disappointment. He made you suffer so much...and, moreover, being close to him exposes you to his father's attention".  
Marben lifted her head, at that point, and looked at him with puffy, red eyes. Fulvius stared back at her, feeling like his little heart was bleeding, and lightly caressed her moist cheek.  
"It has never been a wise thing, to be his girlfriend. Maybe it's time for you to seriously think about it, little one".  
Marben clenched her jaw, then glanced at Turandot: the woman looked upset, but for once didn't dispute what Fulv had said as soon as it had got out of his mouth. When at last she lifted her big, dark eyes, Marben knew.  
"Yeah, I…I'm sorry, but I'm with Fulvius".  
And in the end, that really had always been the issue: to choose Five at any cost, or to choose her own safety. 

* * *

_A/N: As promised, another chapter. As promised, trouble ahead. As always, many and many thanks for your kind (even if mostly silent) support. Love._


	41. Chapter 36

32.

"What _the hell _where you thinking of doing?" hissed Five, materializing in the middle of the room with a crackle. As recently had become her habit, Marben jolted but otherwise showed no sign of surprise; her gaze was impassive when it shifted on the boy, and Five immediately knew she had been waiting for him.  
"Oh, hello to you too, dear! You look good!".  
"Cut the crap, Marben, and answer my question!". Marben turned her head slightly but kept her eyes fixed on him, in a gesture that Five had often seen her do when, if verbally attacked, she wanted her opponent to become doubtful of their own thoughts and words.  
"What are you talking about?" she asked, without losing her composure.  
"You know!" the boy hissed back.  
"I saw it right, then, you want to talk about how your father humiliated a kid in front of the crowd, today, and how you did nothing to stop him from doing so". That was exactly what had happened but hearing Marben's voice load up with so much disapproval to phrase it, albeit calmly and without judgment, made the whole affair sound shameful, Five thought, his determination dimming a little. "To answer you question, my sweetest love, I was thinking what hasn't gone through your mind at all: that that boy was in serious trouble and needed someone to help him".  
"Did you challenge my Father to teach me a lesson, then?".  
"What the heck, exactly, do you have to do with it, if I challenge your father?".  
"STOP PLAYING DUMB!" roared Five at that point. The girl's gaze turned icy, but he was too angry to feel guilty about screaming and went on. "That shitty old maniac, the very stuff of which your nightmares are made if I'm not mistaken, is gonna make you endure _torture_ if you'll do something wrong in front of him. You think you're being smart, with your caustic glances and playing good samaritan?".  
"Don't take it out on me, if you lack the guts to raise your head and do the right thing" Marben accused him, while everything about her remained motionless but her unnaturally calm voice and her wide eyes spoke of overwhelming anger. Her words hurt Five, but what hurt him most was to realize that she was right.  
"Look. I'm sorry for disappointing you. Really" somberly said the boy then, "But now be reasonable and acknowledge you've been a fool, please". Marben choose instead to sneer at him.  
"Why, because you say so?".  
"BECAUSE IT'S EVIDENT!".  
"YOU BET YOUR ARSE IT IS!" the girl came out with, finally losing her temper "And I know it by myself, so come down from your high horse, you've got nothing to teach me!".  
"I'll ask again, then. Why the fuck did you feel the need to publicly point out that my Father is a jerk?".  
"Because. It was right. To do. So" barked the girl, instilling in each word all the frustration Five's reticence to understand that very simple concept was causing her. "And I don't give a damn about your blasted father. Believe it or not, none of this consisted in doing him a wrong, I just wanted to help the boy".  
"The old man's dangerous. You should continue keeping a low profile" complained her boyfriend which, by contrast, seemed to be getting increasingly anxious; he loosened his tie and started pacing back and forth in front of the window like a lost soul.  
"And for how long, yet? I'm getting fed up".  
"Only until the end of the school year". Marben laughed, bitterly so.  
"Of course, how lucky I am! It's just gonna be another eight months!".  
"It's for your own safety!" stressed Five, ceasing his wandering to look at her. As an answer, the blonde girl waved him off.  
"I'll take care of my own safety like I've always done, thank you very much".  
"_I want to help_!" Five hissed through clenched teeth.  
"How? Like you did with that kid today?" bitingly replied Marben, dripping with scorn.  
This time the accusation felt like a slap in the face, to Five: finding his girlfriend's bitter gaze unbearable he lowered his own, and when a desolating sense of defeat kicked in, his cheeks started to burn and his eyes to prickle. He realized he had been a real coward at the parade, and that Marben had not only been disappointed by him, but now even seemed to despise him. Five also understood that he deserved her contempt, that there was nothing he could do to make her change her mind, and that love was unfair because it was causing him pain even though he was sincerely repentant.  
A new, searing wave of anger broke loose in his chest, right after his moment of self-pity, spreading fast along the rest of his body. He loathed himself for being a coward, he loathed himself for being so oppressed by Marben's displeasure. The truth was that there were no excuses for him, just like for his Father, and he hated that too.

"You know what?" the boy asked after a long moment of silence in which both of them had thought the air had seemed crossed by small electric shocks, "I think you're talking like that because you let that childish bullshit of a brawl get to your head and now you think you're invincible. I'm sorry to break it to you, but my Father is far worse than some cheap drunkard".  
"You're obsessed with that. Don't worry, I don't have the God Complex, that's an Umbrella Kid kind of thing" derisively replied Marben, shaking her head. It was Five's turn to sneer.  
"Don't pull us in, sweetie: you've been looking for trouble everywhere since that evening, and…".  
"**You** don't try to make **me** feel guilty about what happened today, arsehole!" Marben forcefully interrupted him, jumping off the bed and standing in front of him, even if far away. "I'm so pissed, so...revolted by what you Hargreeves did! And you still have the gall to come here to reprimand me as if what I did was wrong?!".  
"Okay then. I'd better go, since today I seem to make you feel like puking" Five conceded, giving up and turning to open the window. He wasn't in the right state of mind to make a successful jump.  
"Yes, it would be a great opportunity to do at least one sensible thing in the span of the whole day!" the girl reproached form the other side of the dorm; throwing her a furtive glance, the boy saw she was pulling at the bedsheets.  
"Enough, Marben. Calm down, I'm leaving".  
"Do please hurry up, so maybe I can get some sleep" was all Marben apparently had to say. Five hesitated for a moment, torn between going without saying anything else and trying to sweeten the departure a little. He didn't want to go and leave things that way between them.  
"I don't think it would be wise, for me, to come here tomorrow night…" he finally decided to mutter, tentatively. The girl, however, kept showing him her back, unbuttoning her blouse as if he wasn't even there.  
"Do whatever the fuck you want, Five Hargreeves. See if I care".  
"Stop calling me like that. It's not my name".  
"Right" Marben bitterly laughed after a moment of pause, "Because apparently I don't even know that, about you".

.oO°Oo.

"Hey, Marben. There's a girl, over there, who wants to talk to you" said the girl with the braids, thin lips and almond-shaped eyes. Marben looked at her as if they were seeing each other for the first time, but she actually had a vague idea of who the girl was (aspiring First Chair of the School's orchestra, a year younger than her and the Girls, talented, ambitious, shy); the girl, conversely, seemed to know very well who Marben was, because not only had she spotted her without making mistakes, but she also kept looking at her in amazement, constantly adjusting her own uniform with the hand that wasn't currently pointing at the perimeter wall.  
"Uh…t-thanks. Thanks…".  
"Helen!" the girl readily prompted, with a dazzling, eager smile. Marben smiled back, getting up from the bench, and briefly squeezed her shoulder.  
"Hello Helen. Thanks again".

As she walked away from her lunch, momentarily abandoned on the table, Marben managed to catch a fragment of Lear and Myery's exchange ("_Guess who's the girl everyone likes? It's not friggin' fair_!" - "'_Everyone'? Does it mean you're sweet on my cousin too_?"), but the curiosity to find out who the mysterious girl beyond the wall was made her dismiss it immediately. Vanya didn't usually come to look for her during lunch break to cancel a lesson, and all of her closest friends were already in the School's backyard…what if it was Turandot?  
"Hello? Who's there?" the blonde girl called out when she reached the perimeter wall, while with suspicious eyes she searched the multitude of girls who crowded the lawn, looking for Helen.  
"Hi, it's…Allison". Marben immediately regretted the mystery, and didn't hesitate to let it be understood.  
"Oh. Yay".  
"Sorry, what?".  
"Nothing. What are you doing, here? Did your brother send you?" the blonde girl listlessly asked, leaning her back against the wall and mulishly crossing her arms on her chest.  
"Which one?".  
"Alright, I'm leaving".  
"No, wait!".  
"Whaaaaaaaaaat doooooo yooooouuu waaaaaaaaannt?" brayed Marben at that point, lengthening the syllables to excess so that it was unequivocal how much it was annoying her to sacrifice her lunch break in order to blather empty chatter.  
"To know how you're doing" resolutely replied Allison from the other side of the wall. Marben boggled.  
"…why?".  
"Must there be a reason?".  
"Allison, _are you hitting on me_?".  
"NO! I just wanna make sure you're alright!".  
"Why on Earth...wait, it was Five, wasn't he? He really did send you".  
"…kind of. No, that's not true. He'd probably kill me if he knew I came here to tell you how miserable he is".  
"Then?" the blonde girl snorted, more and more annoyed.  
"Like I said, he's been insufferable the past two days, and something about the argument you two had leaked out, so…".  
"So did you worry about him? Or _me_?" Marben laughed, incredulous.  
"Believe it or not" Allison shrugged. "Listen, I know we've been unnecessarily cruel to that boy at the parade and that it really upset you. Five knows it too. And if you saw how guilty it's making him feel, you wouldn't doubt it".  
Marben didn't doubt it at all, she knew that Five was a kind-hearted boy, but she didn't want to tell that to his sister. After all, mere apologies, however sincere they were, couldn't heal disappointment or give freedom back to the kid from the parade.  
"Fine, so?".  
"Just…try to be understanding with him if you can, okay? It's not easy for us, to tell what is right and what is wrong. We can only do what our Father orders us to, the way he wants us to do it" Allison ruefully said.  
"I know it's tough for you guys. But I'm still very disappointed with Five".  
"Can you at least try to forgive him?".  
"Of course I can".  
"Are you ok?" Allison asked, after a brief pause.  
"What difference does it make? And sorry, but if it wasn't Five to sent you to ask me, what do you care?".  
"I want you to be fine. Are you?" Allison reiterated, tiredly but also patiently.  
"I am. I mean, so and so. But mainly yes".  
"Great. I'll be going, then…".  
"Right. Thanks. Bye".


	42. Chapter 37

_Chapter Soundtrack: watch?v=Gsvda1AP6wo_

* * *

33.

They hadn't been talking by the window for a long time, approximately since the beginning of their relationship; it had been natural to get away from it, the dorm offering warmth, privacy and a bed to curl up on, while outside the autumnal weather was getting colder and wetter. The night Five decided to try to come looking for her again, however, Marben did not feel like letting him in, and so she had sat on the windowsill gesturing for him to do the same. Five hadn't objected, even if he had been hoping for a reconciliation and a little snog, and the girl had then begun to ask him questions about his siblings and the relationship he shared with them, or how they had learned to manage the Academy's oppressive atmosphere from an early age; Five had opened up, something he had learned to do with her and which was now natural to him, and all the while Marben had been observing him carefully, without missing the slightest detail as he told her what she wanted to know.

"My Father always keeps the competition high between us, to spur everyone to do their best…or so he says. It is evident anyway, how that it's just a matter of convenience to him: if we grew too close and decided to gang up against him, he would have everything to lose" Five bitterly snickered staring down at his feet, old fashioned shoe heels lightly hitting the brick wall. "We're comrades…but more for the sake of team than real sentiment".  
"What about Vanya? Why doesn't she come with you on missions?". At that, Five gave Marben a suspicious look.  
"Because as far as we know she has no power whatsoever. She's in no position to be of any help to us, hence she would just be a hindrance" he said in no uncertain terms, sounding haughty. "Are you asking on Lear's behalf?".  
"No, but I'll tell her anyway" the girl admitted, and the boy sighed, going back at staring at the wall in front of them.  
"Seems right".  
"I'm afraid Vanya would do anything to be an Umbrella Kid".  
"Yeah, sometimes I think it too". When Five discreetly tried to cover his tattoo pulling on his jacket's sleeve, Marben couldn't help to think that Vanya probably hadn't been allowed to get one herself.  
"Does she know you kill people during your missions?".  
"Yes".  
"And she **still** wants to be like you all?". She had meant to sound incredulous, but in the end it came out rather appalled, and Five looked at her, astonished. Marben thereupon seized the opportunity to voice an atrocious doubt that had been nagging her for a while. "Do you want…or like to kill people, Five?".  
"I don't know" the boy confessed in a quiet voice, after some time. "I mean, it's fun to give a bunch of assholes what they deserve, you said it yourself. Inherently I know killing is wrong, but I've been raised to be a killer. How am I supposed to know if I like it or not? All my life I've been trained to smother, stab, crack heads and ribs and snap necks…it's just what I do! And I'm damn good at it! What would I be, outside the Academy?".  
"Scum, undoubtedly, if what has been drilled in your head all these past years it's all you manage think of".  
The two teens looked at each other with fire in their eyes: Five clearly was distraught by the turn the conversation had taken, and Marben was once again unwilling to offer the comfort he had been expecting. She instead watched him with eyes like glowing embers, and the feeling something kept being completely off intensified substantially  
"Is everything alright, Doll?" he asked, cautious and irked alike. Marben could swear she had heard a strain on the 'Doll' part.  
"Sure," she replied with a small shrug, feigning nonchalance, but inside she was cursing herself for agreeing to meet him. Clearly, they both needed more time apart from each other, to reflect on what in their relationship had become spoiled. "Now, sorry if I cut this short, but I need to get some sleep or tomorrow I'll be crushing on my music stand, at rehearsal".  
Five irritatedly dismounted from the windowsill; Marben turned her back to him to step into the dorm, and she needn't to see his face to know he was terribly disappointed by the attitude she had been exhibiting lately, as well as by his inability to solve the problem that was causing the tension between them.  
'_Well, guess what? I'm still disappointed in you too_' she thought bitterly.  
"Thanks for passing by".  
"See you tomorrow?" Five morosely asked, and when Marben nodded - even if somewhat uncertainly - leaned forward to peck her lightly on the lips.  
"I love you" he whispered, wishing she would understand all the words that for one reason or another he couldn't say out loud. Words like 'II'm sorry I hinted you could be a brawler', 'I wouldn't have wanted to disappoint you', 'Please, don't leave me', 'I miss you' and 'Why do you have to make everything so difficult?'.  
On her part, he blonde girl was fighting with all her force against the need to scream in his face that she hated herself for wanting to keep him at a distance, and that she also hated him for making her so angry that she had came to hate herself; when she finally managed to quell it, she laid the briefest caress on the boy's cheek.  
"Love you too". She meant it. Just, she hadn't decided what to do with her feelings yet. However, it seemed to be enough for Five, who nodded and without adding anything else, jumped.

Marben didn't waste any time, and readily slipped on her coat as well as her shoes in the dark, fastening them by memory. She needed to think, to clear her mind, to decide once and for all what she could accept and what instead she could never understand and forgive, even if Five was involved. And so she fled down the fire escape, silent and light as a cat, climbed over the gate at the back of the School's yard and made to take the road to the Park. She was strolling leisurely in the cold and damp air of the night, absorbed in her thoughts, hands in her coat's pockets and nose buried behind the hem of her soft scarf; the road was deserted, and her feet were guiding her expertly through the mist. The quiet was like a balm to her nerves, the only sound perturbing it the one produced by the soles of her uniform's shoes. And with the cadence of that dull sound in her ears, Marben felt her thoughts begin to magically arrange themselves…

"I think you should act as if what you saw meant nothing".  
The girl looked up like a startled animal: at the surrounding wall's corner, on the other side of the street, a woman was giving her a benevolent smile.  
"Trust me, you don't want to loose the chance to experience everything you can by your love's side. It won't come back. Whatever you say no to, now, will be lost forever".  
Marben studied the unknown woman meticulously: conspicuously oxygenated hair, a lot of make-up, a brilliant smile that seemed genuine despite a very altered appearance, hands in pockets and the wide stance of someone who is used to making its own way in life, whatever the cost, because any other way simply wouldn't be fitting. She had probably found herself overhearing the conversation between Marben and Five as she had been passing by, and was now trying to improvise some 'wise' - and definitely not required - advice. Idiosyncratic, intrusive, insincere.  
"I don't like you even a bit" the girl told the stranger, whose smile faltered. "And sure as hell I didn't ask for your advice".  
Marben could not have found the words to describe how satisfactory it felt to see the woman's face crumble. She basked in it for a moment and then made to resume walking, but right then the woman spoke again.  
"Wait, I just…".  
"What?". The woman looked at Marben with big, pleading eyes.  
"I…please, listen. If you were to leave him now, your boyfriend would be devastated. And one day you might feel remorseful about having hurt him!".  
"**I know**," the girl peevishly stressed. "What is not known, however, is why the hell do you care!".  
To this, the woman did not reply. Marben saw her tighten her lips in a hard line, and understood that she would have had something to say, but had chosen not to. For this the girl was grateful, for she had no more time to waste on chatter.  
"Whatever. It is none of your business anyway". Waving the stranger off, Marben made to leave.  
"Do you still love him? Even if you despise some parts of him?".  
"Don't try to follow me. And don't you dare to show up ever again!" the girl spat harshly from over her shoulder, seeing out of the corner of her eye the woman stop mid step.  
"At least think of the little time you have at your disposal: what will become of you and him, when you'll have to go back to England?".  
At that, Marben froze still on the pavement. But it was just a moment, and then she immediately resumed walking without looking back.

* * *

_A/N: Hello guys! :) Everything alright?  
The last few chapters have been a little bit angsty, but I promise you, there will be some fluff next week! No, there won't be kittens, only bipeds. Sorry._  
_Thanks for your attention, you're truly phenomenal!_


	43. Chapter 38 (I)

_WARNINGS:...teenagers smoking. I don't know, was it appropriate to include it among the warnings?_

_Chapter Soundtrack: watch?v=nJNcBKee0K4_

* * *

34 (I).

"Hey, Ma…". Five wasn't allowed to finish: as soon as the window was open, his lips got captured with abandon by another mouth.  
"Hello, Dimple. I missed you, today" Marben whispered a couple of kisses later, making him sigh warm air on her face as she felt him relax considerably against her.  
"I missed you too, baby" the boy gingerly admitted; Marben sensed his uncertainty, probably the result of being given such a warm welcome after several days of extreme tension, and realized she was sharing it. So she looked at him, with a warm smile, and searched for his hands. One of them was holding something.  
"What is it?". Five simply showed her: a pack of cigarettes.  
"I stole them from Klaus. He was being annoying" he said with a little smirk, watching the little package as he turned it between his fingers. Then his green, piercing eyes met Marben's. "Wanna try 'em?". Caught off guard, the girl guffawed a laugh and then nodded.  
"Let's move to the roof!" she suggested, going to pick up something from her desk drawer. "It would be too suspicious to do it here, if someone were to see smoke coming from this window I would end up in detention so fast I wouldn't even have time to curse myself!". Without bothering to close the drawer or to turn off the light, Marben grabbed her coat and went back to the window, showing Five the very same matchbox she had produced both times they had celebrated their fake birthdays.  
"Right" he said with a wicked smile, then hugged her tight and jumped.

They landed on the School's rooftop with a lively laughter from Marben; Five looked at her fondly, touched by how she was welcoming his spacial-jumping, now that she had grown accustomed to it. They spread their coats on the ground and sat on them, Five holding out the cigarettes while Marben lit a match.  
"How is this supposed to work?" asked the boy, watching as his girlfriend fished a cigarette from the pack. She slyly smirked at him, putting the fag's filter between her rosy lips.  
"You bring the flame to the top of the cigarette while inhaling through your mouth. That's it". With slow and deliberate gestures, she showed him; when she was done, Five raised his eyebrows as if with so little she had managed to impress him.  
"How come you know exactly how to light a cigarette? Is this not the first time you smoke?". Marben extinguished the match on the roof (safely far from their coats) and with a moue exhaled her first whiff of smoke.  
"My Dad smokes, when the work drives him crazy, and Father absolutely hates it and berates him to no end. Turns out he's right, anyway, these things taste like shit". She coughed, and unexpectedly Five burst out laughing.  
"I can't miss the chance to try them, then!". This time it was Five who lit the match, and Marben handed him the pack from which the boy helped himself; as instructed, he brought the flame to the tip of the cigarette and when the paper burned, leaving behind a small orange ember, he inhaled. Just to start coughing convulsively a split second later. It was Marben's turn to laugh.  
"Oh, sweetie!" she cooed between a fit of laughter and a pat on his back. "Too rushed, try to take a gentler drag!".  
"Wha'?" wheezed Five, looking at her through watery eyes "Do I 'ave to do 't aga'n?". Seeing him so put off, Marben forced herself to quell down her hilarity and softened.  
"No, babe. Of course not, if you don't want to". Five didn't wait to be told twice, he immediately - and testily - threw the cigarette away. His girlfriend couldn't help another snicker, and throwing away hers as well, she embraced him and dragged him to the ground with her, on the soft makeshift bed made of their coats.

Five fell on her with a strange sound midway between a stifled laugh and a grunt, but quickly adapted to their sudden change of position by finding his way to Marben's lips and giving her a passionate and playful kiss, bitter from the cigarettes but also holding the sweet taste of their recovered intimacy. The girl moaned softly under him, letting her hands wander on his arms and shoulders, his back, tangling her nimble fingers in his soft hair. Five basked for a while in her sweet caresses, but at some point parted from the kiss with a loud 'smack' and his eyes bore directly into Marben's.

"Listen, Doll, I…I need to tell you something, but…I can't, if first we don't clear up what happened in the last few days" he said gravely. Marben felt glued to the roof, due to the urgency in his gaze as well as in his voice.  
"Alright" she acquiesced, sounding strangely brittle. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a moment, then exhaled and looked back up into Five's worried, anxious gaze. "I'm sorry. I made you worry, I told you some pretty awful things and I've been withdrawn when you needed comfort...I knew you were disappointed by all this, and yet I chose to keep you at arm's-length. I'm sorry I was so mean and standoffish, honey, you didn't deserve it. It happened because lately I've started to ask myself all those dreadful questions I posed you, and couldn't get them out of my head…".  
"For example if I want or like to kill people?" Five interrupted her.  
"That too, yes. I…I found myself looking at you with different eyes, once I realized what you and your siblings get up to while on your missions. And it did terrify me, because it jeopardized everything I learned to love about you!". At that, Five looked away; Marben, however, wasn't willing to let him retreat inside his mind, so she cupped his cheek and kept him anchored to the moment. "But then…I recalled about all the genuinely good, generous and selfless things you proved me to be capable of doing…I remembered how you did profuse yourself so that your sister could take up violin lessons, and about how you stayed by those dying workers' sides, at the factory, so they didn't have to face the worst alone! I remembered how happy you looked that night you brought me a birthday cake…happy to be giving, without getting anything else in return".  
Five's eyes locked with Marben's again then, full of a myriad of uproarious emotions. She smiled at him tenderly, and with tearful eyes caressed his cheek.  
"That was the moment when I realized I already knew everything I needed to know about you".  
"And what would that be?" asked Five, his voice breaking, but not out of a puberty's joke.  
"That you've got such a big, kind heart, and…while I might dislike some of the things you do, those things don't define you. And above all, t**hey don't change what a truly amazing person you are**".  
Five closed his eyes, so relieved that a lonely tear escaped between his eyelashes and ran down his cheekbone; Marben swiftly caught it with her thumb and pulled herself up, sitting.  
"So…you still love me?" asked Five with the same, broken voice as before. Marben felt like she had just been punched.  
"Yes!" she hurried to say, "Yes, of course! I love you, Five, don't you ever doubt it!". Five smiled with glossy eyes.  
"That's…scary as fuck, actually! Because I realized…that in spite of everything I'm tremendously happy, since I met you, and that I've never have been happy before that, not even a little bit!" the boy said, nervously snickering. "I think…I think you're the reason for my happiness, Marben, and I'm mad about you!".  
Marben looked at him, gobsmacked, without knowing what to say.  
"Oh, Five, dear…".  
"I know it sounds ludicrous, for someone my age to say things like these!" Five hurried to add, as if he had been afraid to be not taken seriously, "But...but I know, **I know**, Marben, that nobody else can make me feel as good as you do. I know that you can love me even when I'm the only one to blame…and that you're the only one for me".

Marben felt her heart squeeze and then start beating at twice its normal speed: overwhelmed by the sheer need to make her way inside Five's ribcage and merge herself with him so that they would never ever be apart form each other again, she shifted her hand from the boy's cheek to his nape, and then urgently closed the distance between them, bringing their lips together. Five gasped in the ravenous kiss, surprised by the alacrity with which Marben latched onto his mouth, sucking and nipping at his lips, entwining her tongue with his while her hand ruffled his hair as she clung fiercely to his nape.  
"You too make me happy" she heaved after a while; Five looked at her, ecstatic and surprised, and the blonde girl frowned. "What? Don't you kno…_how can you possibly not know it_, Five?".  
"I know! I know it, love" whispered the boy leaning his forehead against his girlfriend's. "I knew that your feelings were true from our very start. It's just…I dared not hope they were as powerful as mine".  
"Truly?".  
"Absolutely. It is evident, when you look at me". Marben's eyes lost every trace of insecurity and softened in the most unrestrained love Five had ever glimpsed into a gaze; he felt his own skin tingle under the gentle, sheer majesty of that unconditioned devotion, and hoped with all his heart that his eyes were able to convey the same to his beloved Doll.  
The two teens shared an immensely fond smile, both basking in the new sense of belonging they were experiencing. Then Marben grabbed Five by the tie, and smacked a languid kiss on his lips.  
"Make love to me" she blowed on his face, hoarsely.  
"What?" heaved Five, incredulous, but when their eyes locked, underneath the surprise Marben saw desire.  
"You heard me. Make love to me…and please, let me do the same to you!" she said before engaging him in another steamy kiss. Without parting his lips from hers, Five wrapped Marben in his arms, and with a crackle and a blue gleam they were gone. 

* * *

_A/N: So, who caught the almost literal quote from Guns' N Roses? Well? Anyone? Don't disappoint me on classic rock, Beautifolks._

_Anyway, here we are, ladies, gentlemen and everyone in between: sexy times ahead. I hope you'll continue to read the fic (it's almost over, but the biggest plot twists still have to come!), but if the idea of two minors sleeping together disturbs you, you may want to skip the next chapter. There will be a lot of consent, nothing graphically described or too much explicit and everything will be swamped with love and tenderness. But I wanted to warn you anyway :)_

_'See' you on Friday...I hope. Otherwise, next Tuesday! Ciao!_


	44. Chapter 38 (II)

_WARNINGS: LOVE SCENE BETWEEN TWO CONSENTING TEENS. No graphic descriptions, nothing transgressive, nothing vulgar or explicit. Because let's face it, the first time of two virgins can be nothing like everything I wrote above. Beware the love and clumsiness, they could be contagious._

_Chapter Soundtrack: watch?v=MLPll4vdk1w_

* * *

34 (II).

"I have no idea...do-do you know how to do this?" Five panted hotly on Marben's face while his clever hands sneaked underneath the girl's shirt, her sweater already thrown somewhere behind them.  
"Broadly speaking" she whimpered, Five's cold hands treading a strangely scalding trail up her ribcage. "I'm no expert, never done this before. But I can show you a thing or two…and we can go slow, there's no rush". Five insistently rubbed his nose against hers, making her head tilt upwards. They exchanged a heated look which made their bones melt and their skins tingle in anticipation.  
"Would you like me to touch you, Marben?" the boy suggested in a gravelly, pleading voice "I'm dying to do it". Marben felt as if the ability to breathe had been taken away form her. She gasped to find the air to reply with, while her heart was beating the fastest she'd ever experienced.  
"…yes. Yes, please. Touch me, Five".  
"Oh, **yes**!".

With a fervor that until then he had only reserved to marshmallows and peanut butter sandwiches or equations, Five began to try and take his girlfriend's shirt off by pulling it upwards, and so Marben found herself laughing, trapped in a heap of cloth that was forcing her to keep her arms raised and just couldn't slip past her head; taking a little step back, she pulled down her shirt and then accompanied her boyfriend's hands to its buttons, smiling at him with complicity as she took care of those in her cuffs and slipped off her loose tie. Five understood at once, and in the blink of an eye he found himself pulling the annoying garment off, unimpeded, looking spellbound at the sight of the girl's smooth, young body. Marben made a quick work with unbuttoning her uniform's skirt, and letting it fall into a pile at her feet, she stepped over it and began to undress Five too, removing his tie - which likewise ended up on the floor - and then firmly pulling off his jacket and checked vest; she then attacked the buttons of his shirt, gradually opening them to reveal in the process the usual white tank top for which she had endlessly teased him. All the while Five had been watching her, enthralled, with green eyes frantically sliding over and over every millimeter of her exposed skin and letting his own clothes be taken off as if it were happening to someone else.  
"Five. My bra" whispered Marben after a while.  
"Mmmmh?" was all she got as an answer, her otherwise unresponsive boyfriend too engrossed with memorizing the exact pattern of her moles and her bellybutton's shape. She smiled indulgently.  
"Could you take it off, please?". The boy jolted out of his trance.  
"Oh. Yes! Gladly!". Five's hands flew on her back, groping for the lacing of her bra, and as soon as they found it they began clumsily trying to open it. Having no luck, the boy let out a couple of grunts of frustration, resolving to even hug Marben and starting to cover her neck with languid and hot kisses, hoping to be able to peek over her shoulder. The girl chuckled softly, between a groan and another, while with trembling hands she unbuttoned Five's shorts and dropped them on the floor. At that point she decided that they had wasted enough time: with an effort that felt inhuman, she untangled herself from Five's embrace and stepped back, looking him straight in the eyes.  
"Off" she concisely said, pointing at the boy's stockings and shoes, hidden under his piled-up shorts. Then, without looking away, she took her hands behind her back, and an instant later the bra slid down her bare arms.  
"Oh, **fuck**!".  
"Yeah, I'd really like to".  
Five practically tore off his shoes and socks, feeling faint for the abrupt change of direction that his bloodstream had just undertaken and at the same time the idea that Marben was almost naked in front of him. When he looked up again she had also discarded the blue tights of her uniform, and was now standing in front of him with only a pair of high-cut knickers on, of which Five could not even discern the color because he just wanted them gone.

Stripped to their pants, the two young lovers looked at each other for a long moment: Five thought that Marben had never looked so beautiful, she who was always stunning, and that he, a skinny boy wearing old-fashioned underwear, was the luckiest bastard in the world to be able to see her like that. Marben, on the other hand, had never felt so sure of her body and her want, for she thought that Five, with his green eyes burning with desire, his disheveled hair and his plain underwear that pulled on the front, was everything she would ever need. He looked at her grimly, as if wanting her from afar was costing him an indescribable effort, and she smiled at him.  
"Oh, Five. Aren't you absolutely delectable?" Marben asked rhetorically, in a velvety voice, voraciously looking at him with a crooked smile that made him shiver and groan.

A moment later they were entwined, kissing like they both wanted to steal the air from each other's lungs, walking backwards and then falling down untidily on the bed. Five's hands went immediately down to Marben's knickers, but she stopped them, asking him hotly to cover her in kisses and caresses, not to leave a single millimeter of her skin unexplored; Five acquiesced, and then proceeded to nip, kiss, lick and suck, leaving wet hickeys all over her breastbone and ribcage, around her bellybutton, even boldly reaching the soft curve of her inner tights, but somehow fearful of openly touch Marben's breasts. It didn't take long for her to decide to coax him into doing it: she took him by the wrists and brought his hands to her chest, showing him how to touch her when he searched for her eyes, red-faced and breathless. Seeing him so bashful and yet eager, Marben could not resist the temptation to take one of his hands away from what they were doing and bring it to her lips. Five almost fainted for the second time in a few minutes, when he saw her coat the tips of two fingers with saliva and then place them back on her nipple. His left hand, instead, Marben chose to bring it lower, much lower, under her panties. Five choked on his own breath as he discovered that being that intimate with his beloved Marben was heady, all-consuming; he felt like he was born expressly to live that moment. So he let her clever fingers guide his own, to teach them how to pleasure a girl and basked in her moans, groaning in return for the inebriating feeling of slippery wetness on his fingers and the vision of Marben melting in bliss beneath him. It was absolutely unexpected when her eyes opened wide and she stared wildly at him.

"May I? Touch you too?" she heaved with half-lidded eyes, a pleading voice and her forehead glistening with sweat. Five was left boggled by the request.  
"**Yes, ple**…I mean, If you'd like to…".  
"Oh, I've never wanted anything more in my entire life!" the girl assured him with a breathy, ecstatic laugh. "Let me touch you, my love. I want to know how you feel in my hand, to make you feel good".  
"I want you to, so bad!" admitted then Five, through clenched teeth. Marben cupped his nape and dragged him down to her lips, pulling him in a passionate kiss while her other hand slithered inside Five's pants; the boy winced and moaned when she brushed his hardness, and they both looked at each other, but didn't break apart as her hand got acquainted with a male body for the first time.

Like that, they established a clumsy rhythm of rutting against one another's hand and body, whispering I-love-yous between moans and gasps, lavishing encouragements, helping, asking, and when they reached their peaks it was with each other's name on the lips, holding on to their most loved one even after a long time, when they had stopped breathing heavily.

* * *

_A/N: A little grunge love for everyone, for them but also for us, who keep 'spying' on them like pervs. I hope you enjoyed it! _

_I hope you all are well. I've been hearing a lot of unpleasant news, lately, together with the usual updates on the progress of the contagion and on the demises...please, keep being cautious. Demonstrate for your rights and those of others, make your voices be heard, go to vote, show dissent...but protect yourself. And protect those around you. It is perhaps the most basic and yet essential form of consideration that you can exercise._  
_Love._


	45. Chapter 38 (III)

_Chapter Soundtrack: watch?v=nJNcBKee0K4_

* * *

34 (III).

"Tell me something I still don't know about you".  
"Again? Will you ever tire of this game, babe?".  
"Will I ever know all there is to know about you?".  
"Alright, smart-ass, point taken. I never overturn shirts: if they are turned inside out, I stick my head in from the top hole, the front part slides over my face, my hands climb from the shoulder to the cuff reversing as they go…and I find myself dressed".  
"…how is it that I've never noticed?".  
"Your observational skills leave something to be desired, love. It has also to be said that you've seen me undress more often than getting dressed… anyhow, it's your turn".  
"I...think I'd like to learn how to shoot. I'm not sure with which weapon, but still…".  
"My Father served in the Army, when he was younger. He learned how to use both the gun and the rifle".  
"...thank goodness I have the most serious intentions with you, then!".  
"Oh, Five, what an idiot you are!".  
"For wanting to be serious with you?".  
"No, for thinking my Father would ever cause you any harm!".  
"Yes, fine, call me an idiot because I'm afraid of your father who was in the Army and probably would chew my head off if he only knew what I've just done to you!".  
"So good, you've been _sooo very good to me_…".  
"And you to me, Princess. I've never felt this good before, actually".  
"Did it live up to your fantasies, then?".  
"Which fa…oh. Oh, shit, I can't believe you still remember!".  
"Of course I do, you dunce! Well?".  
"It's been a thousand times better, Doll".  
"YES! The real Marben beats the imaginary Marben thousand to zero! **Take that**!".  
"Hey, it's your turn, Real-Marben-Beware-Of-Imitations! I swear, sometimes you're just such a dork…an adorable one, though, so I should probably say you're _adorkable_…".  
"Alright, listen up, then: I don't get burned. I mean, when I burn myself I heal very quickly. Sunlight is entirely another matter because it's radioactive, but if we consider any common source of heat...I practically don't get burned".  
"Wow…almost sounds like a superpower!".  
"Don't say it too loud, your father might hear us! Your turn".  
"…did I ever tell you that last year Klaus fell off the stairs while wearing Mom's heels and broke his jaw?".  
"Heck, NO! Poor Klaus…but wait, what does it have to do with you?".  
"I…I was…theonewhomadehimtrip!".  
"Five, _what the…_".  
"And nobody knows, back home, so please keep your lovey mouth shut! **Your turn**!".  
"No, it's not! We're playing 'tell me something about **you**', not 'tell me something about a random relative of yours that comes to your mind'!".  
"Right, so I…uh…".  
"Yes?".  
"I want to grow up with you. And then grow old with you, too".  
"And what about growing tired of me?".  
"Never. That could never happen".  
"Good. Then I…I think I want it too".  
"We just have to figure out how to do it".  
"Come to London with me, when the school year ends".  
"…what would your family say?".  
"'Welcome! Kettle's boiling, fancy a cuppa?'. Obvious!".  
"And…aren't you worried about what my Father would say? Or do?".  
"My family has had to face pretty serious shit, during the years. I'm sure we can deal with Mister Arsegreeves too. My uncle is powerful, you know, and my other uncle is in the police".  
"Excuse me, how many uncles do you have?".  
"Two, Myery's parents: one is my Dad's brother and the other is his husband".  
"Are they all gay, in your family?".  
"Would it be a problem?".  
"…if, unlike my Father, they know how to be good parents, then no".  
"They love us very much...with you it would be no different".  
"I guess it would be nice, to leave…".  
"You…could even pick a proper name for yourself, if you wanted to. One you like!".  
"A few nights ago I told you that 'Five Hargreeves' is not my real name, and I wasn't lying: I'm just Number Five, or at most I can answer to the name Mom gave me, but which I refused…and that I highly doubt even being lawful, I don't know if it's reported on my identity documents. Do you want to know what it is?".  
"No. Like I told you last time we talked about it, it's of no importance how Mom decided to call you. I want to know you by the name you chose for yourself".  
"I guess I'm just Five, then".  
"There's no such thing as 'just'. However, I was wondering if you would you like to…look for your mother? You know, the real one".  
"No. She sold me to Father...or gave me up, whatever it was between the two makes no difference. Thinking about it used to make me feel like shit when I was little, but now...I don't care anymore. She just isn't part of my life, and that's fine by me".  
"…okay".  
"Doll? What're you do-".  
"I'm kissing your tattoo, obviously. Whether we like it or not, it represents a lot of you. Of us. And for this, I'm in love with it".  
"…_oh, Doll_…".  
"I wasn't trifling, earlier: come with me to London. We will find a way".  
"And then?".  
"I don't know, you'll probably have to endure a very normal, very boring high school before you can access…maybe a quantum mechanics course? But at least we'll be away from your father and his blasted Umbrella Academy. We'll start from there, together".  
"Yeah…together".  
"Always. Because without you nothing has sense anymore, Five. It's just going on".

.oO°Oo.

Marben was awakened by slight, tickling puffs of air blown directly onto her belly. It took her a few moments to understand they were produced by Five, who, stifling his own laughter, was trying in every way not to be noisy so as not to disturb her sleep.  
"Hey, what 're you laughing 'bout?" she mumbled with a smile, eyes still closed; in a rustle of sheets, she felt her boyfriend move onto the mattress to place a kiss on her naked shoulder.  
"Oh no, I woke you up! I didn't meant to!".  
"It's all right, gorgeous" she conceded, while blindly groping around to find his nape and stroke his ruffled hair. "What time is it?".  
"Almost six. Now, look down" excitedly whispered Five. Marben reluctantly cracked an eye open to peek, then: under her gaze, Five's pointed forefinger gently poked at one of her breasts, causing it to slightly wobble like a jelly.  
"Squishy!" the boy elatedly giggled; Marben's eyes shot wide open as she felt a twinge of embarrassment, a sudden and irrepressible desire to laugh and so much fondness for her idiot boyfriend rush through her all at once. All that made her abruptly realize that she yearned for an eternity of mornings like the one she was currently living, filled to the brim with intimacy, playfulness and tenderness. Without the slightest idea on how to extricate herself from that tangle of emotions, she reacted instinctively and slapped a hand on one of the boy's buttocks.  
"Five, you're such an id…".

Words and laughter died in her throat as the boy jerked his head up, looking at her with flushed cheeks and eyes like saucers. Gasping, Marben felt him prominently harden against her hip, so she decided to try and smack his butt again, a moment later. Five didn't disappoint her, and choking on his breath he got even harder.  
"Shit, Dimple…you like to be spanked!".  
"Yeah…who would have thought?!" he breathlessly considered, with the innocence of someone who is chatting about the weather. Regardless, a moment later something had changed in his eyes, and Five had wormed his way over Marben, frantically searching for her lips.  
"Five, what's gotten into you?" the girl asked in between kisses, welcoming her randy boyfriend with open arms and basking in the sensation of his naked body against her own, in the warmth and scent of his skin, in the frantic beat of his heart under her fingers.  
"Into me? Nothing. Into you? Me, I hope". Marben sputtered.  
"For the love of…HEY?! Where did your pants go?".  
"Somewhere on the floor, they were sticky" answered Five, sounding like someone who does not wish to be troubled with trivial matters any longer. Determined to render incoherent his adorable girlfriend, as a matter of fact, the boy began to cover her neck with kisses and small bites, sucking here and there the softer skin that he knew was particularly sensitive, and slowly traveling down toward Marben's chest while his hands glided along her ribcage.  
"Give me some, baby…give - Oh. MY. GOD!" Five groaned loudly when Marben answered with another sonorous spank and a squeeze, interrupting his descent.  
"Some _whacks_, dear?" fluted the girl, delighted by the reactions she was eliciting.  
"Some of everything" panted the boy. "Let's have a round two!".  
"WHA…".  
"A round two, Doll. What we did last night, once again!".  
"But it's late!" said the blonde girl becoming anxious; she stopped Five's hands, which had grown bold and were trying to pull her knickers down, and attempted to slip away from under him. The boy tried to protest, resuming to cover her with hickeys, and Marben had to resort to batting his hands away from her body to earn his full - even if disgruntled - attention.  
"No, listen babe! I'd love to, but we can't! I have to get ready to go to class and finding a free sink in which to rinse my face takes forever, in the morning…also, you can't be even more late, or you'll get into trouble! Not to mention we would both need a shower. Like hell you're going to breakfast with your family while looking so shagged!".  
"I like looking shagged by you…and anyway you're being cruel!" grumbled Five, heavily pouting and terribly cute while, naked as the day he was born, he hid his erection behind cupped hands, resenting having to go home instead of spending the whole day in bed with her. Seeing him like that, Marben couldn't resist the temptation to put reason aside for a second and reach out to catch his lips in a short but passionate kiss.  
"Go home, Dimple. Take a shower, have some breakfast...and tonight we'll have our round two" she whispered with a smile, directly on his lips. Five looked back at her, with dreamy eyes.  
"For real?".  
"Oh, you can bet on it, I can't wait to sprawl you naked on my bed and do to you all the lovely things you did to me last night!".

Giggling like the two enamored, euphoric youngsters they were, Marben and Five jumped out of bed and began sorting the clothes that laid scattered on the floor; those of Marben ended up in a corner, ready to be sent to the laundry, while the Umbrella Academy uniform, instead, gradually returned to cover Five's slim and lithe body. Marben wasn't happy with that, not one bit. But she helped him in picking it up all the same, and even in putting it on.  
They managed to turn the moment into a playful exchange of endearments all the same. Marben kissed the marks left on Five's skin by the burns of that horrendous night when he had tried to save innocent men from a fire, before putting on his horrendous tank top. Later, the boy squeaked in a high-pitched voice, when she pinched one of his bare buttocks which was peeking out from under the hem of his shirt, and retaliated by turning abruptly to blow a damp raspberry on her cheek, making her laugh out loud.  
"Five, what the fuck?! Were you born with those feet the size of two boats or did puberty give them to you for Christmas?" the girl joked, running a hand over her cheek to dry it; her boyfriend looked at her with an impertinent smile and wide eyes, filled with amused outrage.  
"Well, at least mine have grown and I don't have to buy shoes from the kids ward!" he countered, before starting a small war fought between bare feet - big and small - trying to step on each other. When they found themselves breathless, partly because they had never stopped laughing and partly due to the convulsive hopping, they decided to stop getting distracted, so Five hurried to get dressed and let Marben put his soiled briefs from the previous day in his jacket pocket (thinking about the face that Arsegreeves would have made if only he had found his son with a pair of pants in the pocket caused them another attack of hilarity, while Marben was straightening his tie).

After that, the blonde girl fetched her father's flannel shirt and put it on to escort her beloved to the window. Once he had climbed over the windowsill, standing on the fire escape's landing, Five turned to look at her with a peaceful, fulfilled and intimate expression that Marben had never seen on his face, before, but that immediately made her feel privileged, because she knew it was exclusively for her.  
"Hey, love…listen, I'm so-" she said shyly, but Five cut her off with an unexpected kiss and sweet words directly whispered on her mouth.  
"You're sorry, I know. You were hurt, you needed your time to heal…or to give yourself some explanations. And anyway you weren't wrong, we should have helped the guy from the parade...but we acted like assholes. You were right, although maybe you could have told me without insulting me".  
"I'm so glad you decided to forgive me…".  
"Don't be silly, my precious. How could I ever not forgive you? You're probably the only person in the world who really cares about my interest, and...and I came to realize you're even making me a better person, since we got together, even if sometimes it's a painful process".  
"Do you really think that?" Marben hopefully asked; if possible, Five's face softened even more.  
"Of course! But...since you're sorry, and I am as well...let's not talk about it anymore, ok? No more unpleasant thoughts, just ones about us. You agree?" sweetly asked the boy, leaning his forehead against his girlfriend's. Feeling her eyes tingling, Marben hurried to nod with enthusiasm.

They exchanged a kiss in the pink light of dawn, and then, with a radiant grin, Five jumped. Left behind, Marben smiled, wrapping herself tightly in the flannel shirt; she was missing him already.  
With a sigh, the girl turned to climb over the windowsill and go back to the dorm. The day she had ahead of her seemed too long, and yet already over, if she kept in mind that by nightfall Five would have been back to look for her. She felt him close, like a tangible presence at the short distance she could have covered by extending an arm, and accompanied by that pleasant thought, Marben hurried to pick a fresh uniform from her closet and to take a quick shower.

Unfortunately, however, that night Five didn't come. 

* * *

_A/N: ...did you like the fluff? From here on everything is gonna be angsty. My best wishes to all of you._


	46. Chapter 39

_Chapter Soundtrack: Chapter Soundtrack: watch?v=KIvgU1NsKJE_

* * *

35.

Not seeing Five arrive at her window as promised left Marben confused and even a little disheartened, especially after sharing with him a moment so intimate that simply thinking about it still made her blush. Nevertheless, the girl did not worry. It wasn't the first time her boyfriend missed a date.  
That evening, she excused Five's absence thinking that he had ended up in detention for having being late for breakfast or having been caught going back home early in the morning, and went to bed, a little saddened but otherwise serene.

The next day, however, Sir Hargreeves did not show up at rehearsal as was his custom, and although that would normally have made the Girls rejoice, it appeared too strange for them not to get worried (the four of them were so accustomed to entering with downcast eyes, taking his presence for granted, that only halfway through the lesson they'd noticed the old man wasn't there, and nudging each other they had exchanged a few perplexed glances). Marben, in particular, interpreted the totally empty stalls as a sign that something might be wrong.

For the next twelve hours, so, the blonde girl had puzzled over how to reach the Academy and get in touch with Five without attracting the attention of her teachers or Arsegreeves, being however forced to give up after some time. By mid-afternoon she was so worried that she had become impatient, so she pretended not to feel well and retired to her dorm, without even stepping outside to go to the canteen at dinner time.  
The unfortunate confirmation of her nagging suspicions came around ten, when the sky had been dark for a while and she was beginning to loose hope that Five would eventually have come to disprove all of them. It wore Klaus' pale face.

Klaus had wanted to tell her before the news came out in the newspapers, and so he had come to her, looking terrible, tormented and oppressed like someone who is about to say horrible things. There and then Marben had wanted to believe he looked that way just because he was drunk and high, but an annoying little voice in her head, refusing to give her rest, had immediately started screaming that she had never seen Klaus like that, neither high nor sober.  
So she had opened the window, giving the newcomer a questioning look, and the river of words form Klaus had swept her up, monochord and expressionless like only someone long accustomed to dulling their feelings could have spoken about a mishap with such carelessness.

"_He…he's gone, Marben, disappeared into thin air. I know little more than you do, I think that through yesterday's training session he and Dad had an argument, which was taken up again at dinner: Five had no intention of letting Dad have the last word and so he stormed out of the house…and hasn't been back since. The others and I are not allowed to talk about it, but...we fear he's had enough, and left for good. Our Father will go to the police, tomorrow, to report the disappearance_".

Right then and there Marben had felt her knees suddenly become so weak she had had to hold on to the windowsill not to fall. Although she knew that Klaus was certainly not one to get scandalized, the girl had thought that, shocked and breathless as she was, she really had to be a pitiful sight.  
Everything boiled down to the dull, throbbing pain in the center of her chest, her breath getting shorter and shorter, and her mind going completely blank.

Marben heard her voice contesting what Klaus was saying while her mind refused to wrap itself around the idea that Five was nowhere to be found, then come up with hypotheses on a possible escape toward some hiding place just to prove a point or on a kidnapping perpetrated by someone who might be holding a grudge against the Hargreeves family, as the terror began to kick in; both times Klaus was reasonable, albeit cautious, in his responses.

"_It would be a lot like him…to be honest, I hoped I would have found him holed up in here_".  
"_How many ordinary kidnappers, pedophiles or organ traffickers could stand a chance against us? And besides, you know Five: you really think he would allow someone to hurt him_?".

At that point the girl had started to frantically pace back and forth through the small room, without really seeing her surroundings, and to obsessively repeat that _Five would have certainly told me, had he premeditated to run away from home, it's not something that can be improvised, and if he really had wanted to do it I would have known, Klaus, because he tells me everything.  
_Klaus had immediately regretted having refuted her hypotheses about his brother's vanishing, and hadn't been able to find the courage to tell her that, in hindsight, probably no one could've said to really having known Five. He, who with Five had grown up, certainly felt as if he had never really understood him, and the idea that Marben could even think of having done so seemed silly to him...but likely, his brother and the delirious girl in front of him had shared things he didn't know or couldn't understand.  
At some point Marben had stopped her wandering, and turning to look at him with wide eyes had ordered him to do something, **anything** to find Five: Klaus had recognized it as the plea it had been, directly addressed to him but also to his family by extension, and had reassured her the police would be notified of the disappearance the next day, that a very extensive investigation would result. She had started to sob again, and to accusing him and his family of not wanting to deal directly with the matter. By then seriously worried about her ragged breathing, Klaus had slipped into the dorm to reach her, and begging her not to get a panic attack he had coaxed her into reclining on the bed. Careless about the shoes she had still been wearing, Marben had curled up on it, gathered in fetal position, and asked him to leave. Without any resentment whatsoever, but Klaus had felt guilty all the same. That little heap of tears and anguish was nothing like the image of Marben he had been holding in his mind.

"_I don't want you to be alone, little Marben, you're not well_…".  
"_Please_".  
"_Fine…but call your cousin, if you're in need of assistance, okay?_".

Once alone, Marben had continued clinging to herself and crying, her chest violently shaking with sobs, her head swimming with thoughts about how Five wouldn't have abandoned her, how they had only known each other for little over than two months and their story had only just began, how she hadn't even given him a birthday present; at the same time, she had wondered where her beloved had ended up, if he had been in danger, if he had found some kind of shelter against the oncoming winter's cold. She had mourned their newborn intimacy with its caresses and kisses, the playfulness between them, the long chats about either complex topics or nonsense, the late nights looking at the stars while eating sweets by the window, and for all the things they hadn't done together yet, and perhaps, now, they could had never. She had yearned to grasp Five's hand, hold him tight against her and revel in the sounds of his living, present being, to never let go of him.

Everything had been too strange. Klaus had said the Umbrella Kids hadn't been allowed to talk about what had happened, and on her part the blonde girl hadn't been able to stop thinking it had sounded so very suspicious. She had let herself be tormented by some terrible presentiment, while a part of her still wailed in agony at the loss of her love.

The last thing she sensed before collapsing into a fitful sleep was a gentle hand stroking her head, a voice singing a simple and unknown melody, and a fleeting vision of red hair. Then she determinedly closed her encrusted eyes, and didn't reopen them.

.oO°Oo.

In the days that followed, the city got carpeted with posters printed by the police, on which from an old black and white photo, Five grinned confidently staring right at the camera. Or at least, that was what Myery told her cousin. Marben didn't want to go out.  
For a few days she had made excuses, alluding to a general malaise first and to a particularly painful period then, and the school nurse had believed her, obtaining from the teachers an exoneration from her lessons. After a week, however, Myery had forced her to come out of her room, hoping that the music would have distracted her from her depression. Unfortunately, the red-haired girl had been wrong.  
Marben could think of nothing but Five, and in a confused and nebulous way: the only thoughts that clearly silhouetted against all that whiteness were her boyfriend's name and the pain caused by his absence. Worry was clutching her stomach shut, and although she rarely drank, her eyes were always ready to fill up with tears. At night she slept little and during the day dragged herself wearily to lessons that now seemed inconclusive and frivolous to her. If she stared for a whole hour at a music sheet, not only she wouldn't see it, but it would eventually get watered down by her tears, and at last she would excuse herself to end up in the first available toilet, to cry her eyes out.  
Her teachers began to notice, a couple of them even tried to speak to her, but she did not know how to explain herself, and therefore avoided them: the whole city, perhaps the whole world by now knew that Five was gone, yet how could have Marben confessed the concern for him was devouring her alive if nobody in the first place had ever known that they had been a thing? The only ones who had always known about them were the Girls, and Marben didn't want them around too much. She knew she wasn't being good company, even though they just wanted to ease her suffering a bit. But all she wanted was Five.

.oO°Oo.

"Do you think his real mother heard the news?" she asked Myery one day, while they sat in the backyard waiting for Lear and Diana to come back with some books to try - with little success - to coax her into studying. "What if until last week she wanted nothing to do with him but now she's crying her eyes out and asking herself where her baby is?". Myery had looked at her with astonished mortification in her dark eyes.  
"Don't go down this road, sweetie. It's already so painful".  
"But I've called the police, earlier, and they sounded surprised to be asked about the investigations! It means that no one is pressing for them to carry on! _Not even the family_!" ranted Marben, tears already running out of her puffy eyes; her cousin had tried to no avail to wipe them with delicate fingers, afraid of hurting her reddened face. "I can't believe I could be the only one crying him, My!".  
"The whole world knows what Five's power and skills are. Everyone's probably just assuming he's starting all over again, somewhere else, and has no intention to come back…".  
"No, it's…he would have told me something" Marben had drily replied then, annoyed by what she had perceived as a belittlement of the situation and her pain from her cousin, who, however, hadn't intended to offend her. "It's all too strange, you don't understand".  
Myery had seemed on the verge of tears too, at that point, but Marben had refused to pay her attention any more, turning to Lear, who was just at that moment arriving with some scores.  
That had been the last time she had tried to open up with the Girls about the whole thing.

.oO°Oo.

When several weeks later she let herself be persuaded to go out again, Marben could not bear to look at the posters. She walked with her head bowed in front of the walls, the lamp posts, the advertising spaces on which they had been glued, otherwise the dear face of her lost boyfriend would have never allowed her to avoid madness. She hated herself for this, but at the same time she knew she needed to distance herself from the pain. The more things about Five she remembered, the more she would have had to mourn.  
One afternoon, during one of the usual supervised walks of her class, Marben spotted Diego and Allison next to a poster pasted on the temporary fence of a building site: Diego was smoothing its outlines, pressing them against the wall to make the corners adhere, while Allison cautiously looked around. To immediately avert her gaze from the poster and avoid Five's fading face, Marben was forced to meet his sister's eyes, and was surprised to see that Allison looked sad, nervous, somehow jaded, but not prostrated. Moving to Diego, the blonde girl saw that he too simply appeared more composed than usual. Both their gazes became pitying, however, when they landed on her.  
Allison took a step towards her and held out a hand, but Marben just turned away, and with downcast eyes moved away from the Girls to hurry up and get closer to the rest of their class.

Creeping, the idea that the circumstances of Five's disappearance were too strange came to her mind again. The two blandly sorry faces of his brother and sister had confirmed it, yes, but above all the telephone number she had glimpsed on the ruined poster: it hadn't been the one she had called days before to speak with the police. 

* * *

_A/N: ...here we go, have some angst. Cheers!_


	47. Chapter 40

_Chapter Soundtrack: watch?v=Jgw107deFcg_

* * *

36.

"Hello?" the deep voice croaked through the line, and for the first time in weeks the tears that filled Marben's eyes were ones of relief. "Hello-o? Is anyone there?".  
"D-dad…it's me".  
"Marben? What's wrong, sweetheart? Why are you crying?".  
"I…I want to come home, Dad…please, let me come home!". The receiver sent her the sounds of a chair scratching on the floor and a rustling of clothes. For Marben it was like being there to see her Dad hastily jump to his feet.  
"All right, I need you to breathe: can you do that for me, dear?" he asked her in an attentive, worried voice, breathing deeply and sonorously to give her an example to follow and lavishing approval as the girl did as she was told a few times. "Good job, once again? That's my girl! Feeling any better?".  
"I…still want to come home".  
"I expected so, but at least you're somewhat lucid, now. Tell me, then, what happened?".  
"I met a boy, back in September…and we got together…".  
"Dear Lord, Marben, you're even worse than your father!".  
"_Dad, please_…" the girl pleaded, and the man immediately ceased with his witty retorts.  
"Sorry, love. So, did you see him with another girl? Did you two break up?".  
"He disappeared".  
"…oh. The missing kid from that brolly nonsense…" he guessed, after a pause. Marben nodded, though unseen.  
"Yes, that would be him! Newspapers and newscasts have have spread the word, the police have been notified, but nobody is really looking for him, Dad, he's been gone for weeks and…he's all I can think about, I'm going mad with worry!".  
"Oh, my poor sweetheart…I believe you" the man whispered, suddenly sounding heartbroken.  
"What can I do, Dad? How can I stop feeling this miserable?".  
"You can't, that's the ugly truth. You can just learn how to cope with it".  
"I want to come home, then!" Marben asserted forcefully, truly determined for the first time since Five had gone missing. "You always say that the more time passes, the more is unlikely that a missing person will be found alive...if so, I want to get out of here, I want to put all the miles I can between me and the possibility that...that a news even more awful than that of Five's disappearance might reach me!".  
Hearing her words, her Dad colorfully swore, and pushing the receiver away yelled at someone in the distance.  
"_Honey, Marben's crying on the phone, come here __**at once**_!".  
"No, wait!" the girl hurriedly called him back.  
"What?".  
"Can we talk about it for a moment more…just the two of us?".  
"Of course. But don't think about what I usually say anymore, all right? Your boyfriend is not dead, sweetie".  
"No…he can't be".  
"…you do realize, however, I can't let you throw this opportunity away, don't you? And that postponing a chat on the phone with your Father won't be of any help?". Gritting her teeth, Marben prepared herself for what she knew would be an exhausting debate.  
"Dad. I haven't been able to focus in weeks, and music has become unbearable to me. What's the point of me staying here?".  
"Look, pet, you say so because right now you're going through a truly awful time…".  
"Half false and half true" the girl had countered, but her Dad had ignored her and kept going.  
"…and believe me, I understand it. I do. But music has always been your greatest passion, If you were to give up now you'll may live to regret it...and I don't wish for this to happen. Not to you".  
"I feel like I should walk out on everything else and don't stop looking for him until I find him!".  
"Yes, that's how this kind of things makes people feel...but you're so many things, Marben, not just the love you have for that boy. Do you really want to let everything you are wilt because he's not there with you? He wouldn't want it".

Marben had begrudgingly recognized the truth in those words. Five, who had never made a secret of admiring her talent as a musician nor failed to rejoice about her progress, would have tried in every way not to make her give up. But unfortunately he had disappeared, and Marben had felt lost ever since, even if in a way different than his; physically present, but mentally adrift in a nameless, boundless place.  
'_I'm entitled to be grieving_' she was by then used to repeat herself when, trying to ask for help, she was faced with the world's inability to understand how much Five's absence was wearing her out, and thus treated her as if she was overreacting. To recognize her own pain's importance so as not to doubt that it had any in the first place, sucked almost as much as the ineffectiveness of the help she was receiving.

"I…I need to come home, Dad" she only said, with a sigh that sounded shaky, due to the fresh stream of tears that spilled from her eyes. "I am beginning to forget how his face looks…".  
"We'll talk to your teachers, all right?" her father had finally conceded, in a sweet tone. "Meanwhile, why don't you tell me everything about him?".

.oO°Oo.

For the rest of the autumn, Marben had spoken little or nothing; instead of on words, she had relied on music to express the turmoil that had kept tormenting her, with melodies that sometimes sounded known to the ears of the listener, and other times didn't. Playing what she wanted and felt most suited to her mood didn't cause her the same loathing as the material foreseen by the exchange study program.  
Sadly, her discontinuous pattern of feeding and sleeping coupled with her perennial state of anxiety led her to fall prey of a strong fever, in mid-December, and for almost ten days Marben didn't set foot outside her room except to use the restroom. By her full recovery, she had reached a breaking point.

She found out one afternoon, after she'd been neglecting her studies for a while and even the most magnanimous of her teachers no longer knew what to do to with her grades. Mister Kai had convinced himself that Marben needed nothing more than opportunities to rediscover her love for music and gain back her determination, so he had suggested a couple of hours a week of tutoring (if out of selfless kindness or because of the long phone call that, as promised, her parents had made to the Headmaster, the girl wouldn't have been able to say); without being able to find the strength to refuse, therefore, Marben had accepted.  
The first time Mister Kai summoned her, Marben discovered she'd had enough of the weight, the smooth wood and the familiar shape of her violin: what to her had been a second nature since an early age suddenly no longer held charm, even made her ill-disposed. She forced herself to endure the session anyway, her stomach twitching with discontent and the fingers of her left hand pounding so angrily on the keyboard that the notes sounded accompanied by the hammering of fingertips on wood, but she must have looked strange, for at some point Mister Kai had recommended her to go rest a little before dinner, concluding the first lesson fifteen minutes early; Marben had nodded and gone straight to her room, violin and scores in tow. As a welcome, she had found only her pale, emaciated and sweaty face's reflection on the window's glass.  
During the second lesson things hadn't improved at all: Marben had played little and badly, then lowered the violin and refused to go on. Mister Kai had tried to be as understanding and patient as possible, but in the end he had been forced to send her back to the dorm with a rebuke and to reschedule the lesson.  
On the third lesson, Marben hadn't even shown up.  
The Girls had then made sure she went to the fourth, literally dragging her to the Theater: in front of their wide and horrified eyes, Marben had tried to throw her violin away, and only Mister Kai's timely intervention had prevented her from doing so. The blonde girl had looked at him as if for the first time in months she really had seen who was standing in front of her, and the elderly, quiet professor with perpetually disheveled hair had returned the gaze of what had been one of his most promising students, finding her wasted, so very sad, frightened. At that point, Marben had abandoned the violin in her teacher's capable hands, and bowing her head had burst into a low weeping. Against all odds, Mister Kai had gathered her up in a hug, and after briefly comforting her, he had led her to the piano, making her sit beside him.

"Let's try this. Are you familiar with composing?".

.oO°Oo.

That year, Christmas elapsed darkly. Marben got to spend it with her family, but not by going home as she had wished: her parents and siblings went to America.  
Having her family around proved to be of great comfort for the poor girl, even if through every glance she could detect her Dad's worry, the confusion of the twins Oliver and Daniel, the veiled disappointment in her Father's eyes; neither of her parents had had the courage to tell her, but letting her drop out from the exchange had never really been considered as a possibility. Marben knew that it had been her Father, to categorically oppose the idea, just as she knew he had done it for her own good, but it couldn't had prevented her from feeling equally abandoned in a moment of urgent need. In any case, she didn't let her bitterness get in the way and ruin the Christmas vibe that would have already been less enthusiastic than usual, partly because of her precarious emotional condition that was bringing anyone around her to treat her as if were made of glass, and partly due to the lack of their usual family traditions: as long as Marben could have remembered, that would have been the first Christmas not celebrated in her elderly grandparents' home, lacking the company of her uncles and Diana and Lear's families, who were like parts of hers. She didn't feel fully happy, during the day, but still let her little sisters Emma and Jordan pour out their enthusiastic affection on her, which had the effect of a powerful lenitive on her wounded and bleeding heart, and when the party was over she gave her parents a long hug, slipping a sealed envelope into her Dad's hand, who looked at her in surprise.  
"Read it, if you must, but then show it to uncle and talk about it with him. It's important" she had only said, and her Dad had nodded.

Something else, later in the evening, unexpectedly managed to warm her heart: on the unreal, snowy silence of December 25th, she found abandoned just outside her window a pack of ginger biscuits wrapped in a paper that had nothing to do with Christmas and a prerecorded cassette. On the package, a small note with 'Love, Mom' written in the most graphically flawless handwriting she had ever seen, on the cassette's label a simple 'K'.  
To avoid starting to cry again at the thought that the Umbrella Kids weren't even allowed to celebrate Christmas, Marben grabbed the cassette and listened to all the songs on it - side A and side B - that same night, holding the envelope of biscuits to her chest like she would have done with a lifebelt.

.oO°Oo.

In the early days of January, Vanya asked why she had started teaching her from a sitting position and they no longer engaged in duets; Marben saw herself forced to answer sincerely, which made her unexpectedly feel somewhat relieved.  
"I don't play the violin anymore".  
"What? Why?" the younger girl had asked, dark eyes as wide as saucers peeking out from under her bangs. Marben had detachedly shrugged.  
"Apparently, now I loathe it. So instead, I'm currently dedicating myself to the piano".  
"I'm sorry to hear that, you're such a talented violinist…" Vanya had feebly countered, looking down.  
"About this, I don't think it's wise for me to continue being your teacher. I can't guarantee you quality teaching if I'm not studying the subject in the first place, so…I could talk to Lear, if you'd like: I'm sure she would be delighted to have you as her student".  
"Sure…but I'd very much like to carry on with you".  
"I'm sorry, Vanya, it would only bring harm to the both of us".  
"I'm gonna miss you" Vanya had confessed, smiling sadly. Marben, however, hadn't let herself get involved.  
"You'll be alright. You'll see".  
"Yeah, like you are now?".  
Surprised by the audacity of the usually quiet and clumsy girl, Marben had turned to look at Vanya with a calculated rotation of her head and a deliberately unfazed face, if not for her slightly raised eyebrows.  
"Better, I hope" she had replied calmly, sincerely.  
"I'm sorry, Marben…" Vanya had offered, equally wholeheartedly.  
"Don't be. It's been a tough time for everyone, you included".

She hadn't meant to be abrupt, unfriendly or cold, and perhaps Vanya had grasped it: Marben wasn't angry with her, she had simply become disenchanted. Music no longer fascinated her, no longer made her vibrant with delight, and company rendered her impatient. She had lost all her enthusiasm, and at the same time she didn't want her gloomy mood to affect anyone else's. To see her like that pained Vanya; so, out of nowhere, she decided to share something that only a couple of people besides her knew.

"I'm sure Five will be back. That's why I leave the lights on and a peanut butter and marshmallows sandwich for him to find every night".

Leaning in to gently kiss her cheek, the girl with the fringe had sincerely thanked the one who had been her first, precious music teacher, and after having gathered her things she had gone back home without saying anything else.  
Marben had then been left with her usual nefarious thoughts. That day she kept looking back at what had happened, trying to remember if Five had shown signs of unbearable malaise or uttered a few words that could have hinted at his intention to run away from home; but finding no clues, she just ended up blaming herself for not having been able to understand him. She even wondered if Five hadn't stayed around only to get under her clothes, and once succeeded in his intent had disappeared without saying a word. But that doubt had been short-lived: Five may have kept some things from her, but he hadn't been able to lie about his feelings.

The sound of the bell announcing dinner had surprised her seated on the windowsill, staring at the emptiness outside her window and envying the quiet strength of Vanya's hope. 

* * *

_A/N: ...next chapter, folks: the next chapter will be the last. Stay tuned for the latest big revelations!_

_Love you all._


	48. Chapter 41

_Chapter Soundtrack: watch?v=tBOsCZvJXew_

* * *

37.

In February, Marben received a phone call from her uncle. He was a powerful man involved in various states' affairs, so despite her own common sense the girl had for a moment hoped he had called to report that Five had been found. Her hopes, however, dissolved as soon as she heard his clumsy, prim greeting.

"Good afternoon, dear niece" he had said, in the sweet and cautious tone he used when someone extremely close to him was in distress and he didn't know how to be effectively supporting, "I hope to find you in good health…all things considered".  
"To your credit, it has to be said you haven't seen me in a while".  
Marben had closed her eyes for a moment, letting her scorching disappointment slip away, and then reopened them, ready to make room for a new hope.  
"Hello, uncle. Happy New Year. I too hope you're doing fine. Did you read the letter I sent you through Dad?".  
"Ah, yes. Straight to the point, I see…".  
"As if this wasn't the exact reason why you're calling".  
"…you're right".  
"So, do you believe me or not?".  
"Of course I do. _We all_ do, Marben".  
"Even Father?".  
"After he read your letter, yes. We've been investigating". Those words had an almost thaumaturgical power on Marben's fragile nerves, lifting from her shoulders much of the tension that had gathered there during the previous months, making her breathe a sigh of relief that seemed to shake her from the bones like an earthquake, forcing her heart to beat fast making her feel more alive than she had in weeks. With damp eyes and a slightly wobbling lip, the blonde girl tightly squeezed the receiver in her fist and bowed her head.  
"_Thanks_. Does this mean…the school exchange is gonna get canceled?".  
"In due time. We need proofs, in addition to the papers you sent us over, to warn the other girls' families about what's going on" her uncle said, in a tone that hinted there would be no second thoughts once the aforementioned evidence would have been found.  
"Of course. But please, hurry. We're not safe, here".  
"I know, dear. Remember that you are not alone".  
"All right. Thanks, uncle".  
"Whatever happens, let us know. Keep your eyes open".  
"We will".  
"And Marben?".  
"Yes?".  
"I'm sorry for your boyfriend. I always hoped something like this would never happen again to our family...".  
Marben's uncle was referring to all the times her Father had been reported missing in action while serving in the army, years before she was even born. The comparison with Five's case irritated her greatly: there was an abysmal difference between an armed and aware adult who faces a war and a boy lost in the vastness of the world. Her boyfriend may have been trained, but Marben knew that hand-to-hand combat was not his forte, and that after a few attempts his spacial jumps usually began sabotaging themselves. Five was in danger, wherever he had ended up, but no matter how hard she was trying to explain it to people, nobody ever seemed to understand…

Noisily swallowing the lump occluding her throat, Marben resigned herself to having won at least one of her many battles.  
"Well, it really seems that, after all, hope is never enough".

.oO°Oo.

By the early days of March, Marben had honed her ability to play the piano to the point that Mister Kai began pressing and trying to coax her into giving a small concert for the local press, such as the one in which she and Myery had performed a few days after their arrival; a tune the girl had been strumming for weeks had attracted the professor's attention, and after discovering that Marben hadn't been simply reproducing but actually composing from scratch, his enthusiasm had seemed to lose all limits. The girl had tried to decline the offer, however, and the old professor had reacted nervously, oddly even a little guiltily. Marben hadn't been able to fully comprehend his behavior, but supposing that Mister Kai didn't really want to force her into doing something she was opposed to, had been enough to insinuate in her mind the doubt that the suddenly renewed idea to exploit her to bring notoriety to the School was suspicious. And indeed, a few days after the subject had been raised for the first time, the girl found the Headmaster personally waiting for her while Mister Kai busied himself pretending to adjust the already impeccable tuning of the Theater's piano.  
Mister Pembroke had affably greeted her and then taken a seat in the stalls, leaving her and her teacher free to carry on the lesson; for all its duration, even if she had never turned to check, Marben had felt his gaze on her back, and when, before dismissing her, Mister Kai rhetorically asked if she had changed her mind about performing for the press, she had immediately understood what was about to happen.

"_Be a dear, do it for the School. After all, you've been our guest for almost a year, now, and you won't be with us forever...am I right_?" the Headmaster had asked without waiting for her to say anything, suddenly close and squeezing her shoulder too tightly, looking down on her with threatening eyes that clashed with his smile while she still sat in front of the piano. Marben had felt tiny and helpless.  
So she had relented, and then run off to look for Myery, earnestly hoping that her cousin wasn't being as watched over as she evidently was.

"Have Diana or Lear call your father to tell him the Headmaster knows we want to leave. And if he knows, Hargreeves certainly will too" she had erratically whispered to Myery's ear when she had found her, and without waiting for any sign of assent from the red-haired girl, Marben had fled to her room to try and calm down.  
Once inside her dorm, fear had turned to anger; her gaze had fallen onto the violin peeking out from under the case's lid, and unexpectedly Marben had gotten overwhelmed by a rush of nostalgia, not addressed to the instrument itself, but predictably to how much that same violin had played a fundamental role in everything good had come from her stay in America, and which she had now lost.  
Like Five. Marben had recently realized she had nothing of him outside memories. And now that even the memories had begun to fade, she had started to be terrified about being left with nothing at all.  
Testily, she had pushed the violin's case open, and once grabbed the rosin, had thrown it against the wall, watching as it shattered in a thousand shimmering and golden splinters.

.oO°Oo.

Hargreeves hadn't been showing up at rehearsal for quite some time, and Marben had assumed it had been due to the pressing, all-consuming commitment of pretending to be looking for his missing son. Whatever had been the reason for the creepy old man to absent himself, however, the girl hadn't really been in the right state of mind to appreciate the freedom that had come with suddenly not being stalked anymore so she had limited herself to take notice of it and then confine the matter in a small, secluded corner of her worried mind. The day she unwillingly dragged herself to the Theater to perform for the journalists, nonetheless, Marben wished she had given more importance to what had been her privileged condition.  
Obviously, Hargreeves was sitting in the front row. And next to him, so was Klaus.  
Following the program, Marben had silently entered, addressed her unwelcome audience with a slight nod of her head and downcast eyes, sat down, somberly played her piece - a very sad song, the fruit of her tormented heart - and replying to the applause with another restrained nod she had left without bothering to stay for the last photos. She had wasted no time wondering if she had done something that Hargreeves might have considered suspicious, knowing she had been staring at the floor or at the piano's keys for all the little time she had exposed herself. She only regretted not having met Klaus' gaze: she feared he wasn't faring too well, in his father's company.

That evening, she went to bed even before dinner was served, and it took her a long time to fall asleep. When oblivion finally came, it did it as a blessing for many reasons, the most important of which being that Marben couldn't have known, but if only she had been awake, she could have changed the fate of the boy who was looking for her.  
Beyond her window, in fact, unaware of being followed, Ben Hargreeves was climbing up the fire escape. Once he reached the right landing, the boy made to knock, but then he probably thought the heavy curtains obscuring the dorm from the outside were a sort of request, a plea to be left alone. So he just did what he had come for, leaving on the windowsill the pile of papers he had fished from under his coat, with a stone from the courtyard on top to prevent them from flying away in the night, and silent as he had came, he left.  
A few minutes later, equally silent, the threatening figure of Reginald Hargreeves did also reach the right window, and seized the papers with bony, old hands. Undisturbed, the Monocle unfolded the sheets and saw that they were photocopies of his private journal in its entirety, the one that had disappeared weeks prior and that Number Six had later found under a cupboard in his study; he immediately recognized which pages were on the top, eyes scanning the words written in his own calligraphy rendered gray by the copier, and focusing only on some of them.

'_Presumably quite skilled_', '_Persuadable_? _Eventually, request Number Three's intervention_', '_Valid substitute for incorrigible Number Four_'.

Calmly, Sir Hargreeves folded the papers and put them under his coat like his son had done earlier, to go out and reveal his father's secrets. Then, he left, taking away the evidence that Marben would have needed to indict him.

.oO°Oo.

"... look, a creative writing contest!" Diana jovially chirped one morning during breakfast, slamming a copy of the city newspaper on the table. Marben looked indifferently at the few grapes on her plate rolling away for the windage.  
"Mmmmh".  
"I said, _creative writing_!" Diana repeated eloquently, before pulling up the newspaper and unfolding it in front of Marben's face, bending to peer at it from behind her shoulder. Indeed, the ad truly was there.  
"I get it, I'm not stupid. I just don't give a da-".  
"Forget it, it's all an excuse to talk to you in public without attracting anyone's attention. How are you, hun?".  
"Like this".  
"...maybe this will cheer you up a bit, then: My's father just called. He said we should get ready, we might have to leave at any time". Marben turned to look at her, confused and hopeful at once.  
"Has he found the evidence?".  
"I guess so" Diana said vaguely, shrugging. "Go pack, all right?". Marben nodded, and then hurriedly left the canteen.

Unfortunately, however, neither she nor the Girls received the desired news of their imminent departure that day. Instead of it, the next they received a horrible one for which they hadn't been prepared.

.oO°Oo.

"What's the matter, dear?" Myery had asked in a whisper, cautiously crossing the stage to reach Marben, who, hearing her approach, stopped playing but did not turn around.  
"Ben has died".  
"WHA-".  
Marben had brusquely grabbed a newspaper - gone unnoticed until then, resting on the edge of the open chest of the grand piano - and had thrown it on the ground, to then slam her elbows on the keyboard and hide her face behind her hands, bursting into silent sobs. Myery had winced, partly because of the thunderous noise the newspaper made when it landed on the parquet and partly for her cousin's dramatic gesture, but immediately got up and bent to retrieve the daily. On the front page, a photo of Ben and a grim title in large letters.  
"Oh, no…" the red-haired girl had murmured, her free hand flying to cover her quivering lips and in the process muffling the sound. "Poor Ben…he was such a dear boy…".  
For a while, the two girls had softy cried in silence; then Myery, who knew her cousin like the back of her hand, realized how Marben was painfully embedding her fingers in her scalp, knuckles growing increasingly pale and shoulders getting more and more contracted.  
"You think it was no accident" she had simply said, and the blonde girl nodded. "Will you tell us about it?".  
"When we'll be far from here. Now more than ever, we need to leave". Marben had said nothing else and simply resumed to play once again the song she had been forced to play for the journalists.

The first time they had met, Ben had asked if the music she played was hers. With hot tears that seemed to be corroding her face as they flowed, Marben wondered if he would have been proud to know the one she was playing on the day of his death, had really been composed by her.  
_This didn't have a name, only few hours ago_ \- she had thought _\- Now it does._ '_Lamentation for a lost life'_.

.oO°Oo.

The newspapers hadn't given away any information about when the funeral would have been held, so Marben had sneaked out of School to try and directly ask one of the Umbrella Kids; the unfortunate problem of having to avoid Hargreeves at any cost still existed, though, so she had decided to hide behind a corner, not far from the Academy, and wait for an idea to pop into her mind. Not much later, the blonde girl had seen the Kids get off their unsavory father's shiny, black Rolls Royce, and open the door. To see that there were only four of them left felt like a punch in the stomach, to her; she would have liked to reach out and say she was sorry for all the horrible things that had happened to them and still continued to, and probably unconsciously took a few steps forward, because Diego and Klaus saw her, upon entering their home. Strangely, though, the former sent her a hostile glance while making a show of slamming the gate close with much more force than necessary, and then Klaus stubbornly refused to meet her gaze, disappearing inside without even acknowledging her.  
Marben had gone back to School in a daze, with such an upset mind that not even Myery's sudden news had managed to brighten her day.  
"We leave on Thursday, at midnight".

The blonde girl had tried to go back to the Academy again, the next day, and she had found policemen guarding every entrance to Hargreeves' property.  
On her way back, she had found the Girls waiting at her room's door, talking agitatedly; Lear had been the first to see her, and leaving the others aside had approached with a grim face.  
"The funeral will take place privately on Friday afternoon" she had said, and feeling her heart sink Marben had resigned herself to the final idea she wouldn't have participated to the obsequies in any way.  
"How do you know?".  
"Vanya broke up with me. Not in person, she wrote me a letter. I think she didn't mean to tell me about the funeral, but it slipped anyway…". Lear had choked at that point, and stopped talking; looking up, Marben had found her intent on shunning her gaze at all costs, while biting her lip. She hadn't wanted to be seen in tears, proud as she was.  
"Oh, Lee…I'm sorry".  
"Don't be. Turns out they all believe it's your fault, what happened to their brothers" Lear had confessed with a hard edge in her voice, icy anger and outrage in her eyes that right then found the strength to stare right into Marben's. "If they are so idiotic as to think so, then they don't deserve us at all".  
Marben had burst into tears then, seeking refuge in the embrace of her childhood friend and pretending not to know that she was crying in turn; although Lear's loss was more recent, it was Marben who nevertheless got comforted.  
"At least Hargreeves will no longer torment you…" Myery had murmured, mortified to see them like that, but it hadn't sounded like a consolation.

.oO°Oo.

The night before his brother Ben's funeral Klaus Hargreeves rolled the largest joint he had ever managed to put together, and slipping it between his lips went to the window, rummaging in his pockets in search of a lighter. Once he had finally found it, the boy lit the spliff and then made to open his window, but froze with his hand on the knob, too stunned by what he saw to actually remember what he was trying to do: on the sidewalk across the street, Marben stood staring up right at him, dressed in black, drenched clothes and with a hood lowered on her head. She was openly sobbing, Klaus only noticed because of her ragged, open-mouthed breathing. Next to her, were the pestiferous little kid with red hair and an asian-looking woman he had never seen before, both looking towards him too, impassively so. A third figure in black and with its bowed head covered by a hood was holding Marben's hand.  
Suddenly the blonde girl raised her left hand and held it firmly open in the air; Klaus realized she wanted for him to look at it, and shifted his gaze: in black, probably written with a marker, he recognized two words. GOOD BYE.  
A moment later, the mysterious figure to Marben's right decided to show itself, and Klaus felt like he was about to die on the spot. Watching him from the sidewalk, under the rain, dressed in clothes that Klaus had never seen him wear and holding an unequivocally alive girl by the hand, was his brother Ben.  
The lit joint fell from Klaus' gaping mouth, and the boy roused himself with a curse, stepping on the spliff to prevent it from starting a fire; he then wasted no time and ran down the stairs at breakneck speed, earning himself a reproach from Pogo. Once he threw the Umbrella Academy's doors wide open and set foot on the street, however, the four figures had already disappeared in the night. 

* * *

_A/N: __...would you be willing to read a sequel? *runs away*_


	49. Many Thanks to Everyone

Well, here we are, at the end of our tale!  
It's been a long journey, a delicious one full of satisfactions and also painful, at times (writing the last three 'Fiveless' chapters really did cost me an enormous effort), but I am proud of the final result I managed to achieve for it; this story, although a small and modest fanfiction, has been really important to me, and since it's the very first time I finish writing and publishing something, I 'm very happy to have reached this 'milestone' in your lovely company!  
THANK YOU ALL, A THOUSAND TIMES!  
No matter how tirelessly I may search for the most suitable words, I won't find a truly worthy way of thanking you all as you deserve. You've been adorable, truly, and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I hope I managed to keep your curiosity alive until the very end, to have snatched some laughter out of you and to not have saddened you too much with the most dramatic parts (... or with my grammar mistakes!).  
I'm not sure of future plans regarding this fanfiction: I mentioned a sequel that I have every intention of writing, but I thought of making a short interlude of 'one shots' too, which will connect and clarify untold events only insinuated into By your window and others that likewise will be mentioned but not openly explained in the sequel...I will certainly change the layout of the already published chapters and correct some errors that are still scattered here and there, despite my compulsive checking.  
I hope you will want to 'see' again By your window's OCs and find out how they will influence the events of the first season of The Umbrella Academy...in the meantime, I wish you that Season 2 will give you all what you've been hoping for in the past year of waiting! ;)

A presto (See you soon!)!


End file.
